Songstress: White Clouds
by Runty Grunty
Summary: Dorothea Arnault has gone by many names. Street Rat. Diva. Cadet. Sorceress. When she enrolled at the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery, she hoped to find a good husband. Who she met instead was someone who would change her life. Dorothea X F-Byleth slow burn novelization. Updates on Mondays and Fridays. Please leave reviews.
1. Orientation (Great Tree Moon)

_Welcome, one and all, to the start of my Fire Emblem: Three Houses longfic. And trust me, it's gonna be long. Long enough that it's going to require two parts, and long enough that I worry whether I'll be able to finish it._

_In preparation for this fic, I've been working on numerous chapters beforehand, but I do not plan to release them all at once. Also, I was delaying the start of this fic until after the release of Cindered Shadows, which thankfully doesn't require me to change much of my plans. I intend to release these chapters on a timed cadence, specifically on Mondays and Fridays, to give myself time to write more chapters and give myself a bit of a buffer in case of writer's block or other reasons. Of course, this schedule may change depending on real life circumstances._

_The thing I'm most worried about is keeping myself interested long enough to see this through. I've had other fics that I've written in the past that I dropped due to lack of interest or getting distracted or other reasons. As such, it's my hope that your reviews will keep me motivated._

_Now, before I get started, there are a few things you're going to need to know. Firstly, this fic is not for kids; there will be considerable violence and sexual content to contend with, including a few moments you're no doubt going to go "ick" over. As such, I've rated the fic 'M' ahead of time. Secondly, not every character you know and love is going to survive; this is not some attempt at a Golden Route, just a route that differs from the others. Part of the appeal of Three Houses is the lack of a Golden Route, which makes the sacrifices feel meaningful. Third is that I'm going to be taking quite a few creative liberties to certain events in the story, which may end up being a controversial decision in some cases. I ask that you be open-minded about it. Finally, I am assuming that you have played through the game at least once, so I don't plan to cover up spoilers. You have been warned._

_With all that out of the way, let us begin this story of our beloved Professor and the opera girl from the streets of Enbarr. I hope you will not be disappointed._

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Orientation (Great Tree Moon)**

Dorothea Arnault absentmindedly twisted a brown lock of her hair around her finger as she sat outside the classrooms of the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery. Classes hadn't started yet, but even if it were time, she wasn't sure there was going to be a lecture that day. The bandit attack that had hit them a few days ago had a lot to do with it.

As she looked around the courtyard at the many students who were busy chatting, she would catch glimpses of various boys ogling her and of girls who either whispered praises about her or disdained for her commoner heritage. It was no secret that Dorothea was the only commoner in the prestigious Black Eagles, and a lot of rumors went around about how she had managed to get in.

The one thing that no one would debate, however, was that she was astonishingly beautiful. Dorothea's long brown hair cascaded softly down over her shoulders, unbound by any braids or accessories besides her black hat, and led one's view down to her body. And what a body she had, a perfect blend of full-figured and slender. Her skin was clear, silky, and without a blemish in sight. Her hips were the perfect width while her chest was ripe and round. She had customized her uniform with a short skirt and knee-high boots so the boys could get a good look at her smooth thighs, while her black shirt left a generous amount of cleavage on display. It wasn't the kind of beauty one would find among stuffy nobles, but the tantalizing sensuality of a performer.

It was no surprise that many men and boys had courted her ever since she arrived at the monastery. She had even enticed a few herself, but none so far had been worth a second date. She was gaining something of a reputation as an incorrigible flirt, one only matched by that redheaded skirt-chaser from the Blue Lions, Sylvain. She hadn't flirted with him yet, but he was on her list of prospects. That is, if she got desperate.

As she was lost in thought, a new face caught her eye. It was a woman who looked a similar age as the 18-year-old diva, with blue hair to match her eyes. She was not dressed in an academy uniform but wore a design unlike any Dorothea had seen before. The woman wore a black shirt and what looked like a bustier or corset made of black metal around her torso, one that strangely exposed a small portion of her navel and didn't fully cover her chest, showing she had an ample bust that exceeded Dorothea's own. She wore black shorts over a set of bizarrely patterned stockings, with a single metal plate covering her left knee and well-worn black boots. Two silver vambraces adorned her wrists and metal pads covered her elbows. The whole thing was topped by a black, long-sleeved overcoat that flowed over her shoulders like a cloak, and a detached white collar around her neck. Beyond just her outfit, though, the woman was very curvy, yet well-toned and with a lovely face that was all but inscrutable in expression. Dorothea wouldn't admit it at first, but this woman looked as though she could give her a run for her money in terms of beauty.

The woman strolled about the courtyard, surveying her surroundings. As she approached, Dorothea noticed the well-forged sword strapped to her side, along with a small dagger in a blue scabbard. She was clearly a fighter of some kind, but her outfit didn't suggest she was one of the Knights of Seiros. Then again, that Dagdan woman Shamir was much the same, but this one didn't carry herself like a knight either.

Curiosity got the better of Dorothea, and so the diva rose from her seat and walked up to the blue-haired woman.

"Well now, you don't have a familiar face," Dorothea said as she approached the blue-haired woman. "What brings you here?"

"Hmm? I was having a look around," the woman replied, her voice firm yet strangely comforting.

"Well then, welcome to the Officer's Academy. Oh, my name is Dorothea. I'm a first-year student here at the academy, part of the Black Eagles."

"I see." The woman paused as she looked over Dorothea, to which the diva flashed a smile at the woman. She then said, "I heard the Black Eagles are only made up of nobles. You don't really look like one."

Dorothea dropped her smile a bit, a bit put off by the woman's insinuation. People tended to judge her strictly by her commoner birth, so she was a bit defensive about it. Still, she didn't find herself mad at this woman.

"Well, that's because I'm not," Dorothea replied. "Before I joined the academy, I was a member of an opera company in the Empire. So yes, that makes me a commoner. I'm pretty much the only non-noble in the Black Eagles."

"Is that so? People tell me it's very difficult to get into the academy if you're not part of a noble family."

"It is. Do you have some problem with that?"

"None at all. Sorry if I sounded that way. I'm not a noble either. I'm a mercenary, and so is my father, but we're going to be staying at the monastery for a while now."

"Oh, you're a sell-sword. That explains the wardrobe." Dorothea giggled a bit at this; this woman clearly did not keep up with fashion trends.

"Huh?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"You said you were from an opera company?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I did. I was a diva in the Mittelfrank Opera House in Enbarr. Have you been there?"

"I'm afraid not. I've never been to Enbarr. Actually, I've never even seen an opera before."

"Really? Then you should hear me sing sometime."

"Maybe I will." The woman looked around again, noticing some of the students getting ready for class. "Looks like classes are about to start."

"Yes, at least for the Blue Lions and Golden Deer. But we Black Eagles were recently deprived of our professor. We were out on a training exercise when a group of bandits attacked us. He ended up ditching us before the bandits even got close."

"Really? That's disappointing."

"I never liked him anyway. He was a lousy instructor and was always eyeballing me far too much for my liking. I hear he was found dead after the Knights chased off the bandits."

"So, there's no one teaching your class?"

"Not now, no. It's kind of a letdown. Edie's been a bit grouchy over it."

"Edie?"

"Our class leader, Edelgard. She's the Imperial princess and next in line as Emperor of the Adrestian Empire. She's talented but a bit too serious for her own good, at least in my opinion."

At that moment, Dorothea remembered something she had overheard earlier. Edelgard had been separated from the class during the bandit attack alongside Prince Dimitri of the Blue Lions and Claude of the Golden Deer. She heard that a mercenary had saved the three from the bandits.

"Hey… I heard Edie was rescued from the bandits by a mercenary. You wouldn't happen to–"

Dorothea stopped as a familiar bell sounded a simple, yet strangely nostalgic five notes.

_Dum… Dum dun dun… Dom…_

"Ah, time for class. I'd better be off. Edie's expecting me and I'd best not disappoint her. Maybe we'll see each other again soon?"

"I'm sure we will," said the woman.

Dorothea then made her way to the classroom for the Black Eagles, despite knowing it was likely to be another day of dawdling. But as she went inside, she suddenly realized something and cursed herself.

She hadn't even gotten that woman's name.

Deciding there was nothing to be done about it, she made her way to her seat in the middle of the classroom, stopping briefly to look under one of the desks to see a familiar purple-haired girl trembling underneath it. Bernadetta realized Dorothea was staring at her and made a cowardly squeak as she tried to squirm further under the desk. Dorothea sighed; she had been trying to interact with Bernadetta for a little while now, but the girl was as panicky as a rabbit, and even a simple 'Hello' had been enough to send her darting for her room. The only thing that kept her in the classroom was Edelgard's retainer, Hubert von Vestra, who terrified the girl far more than anything else.

Knowing she couldn't do anything for Bernadetta, Dorothea took her seat in the classroom and sighed, expecting another day of dawdling while the Church of Seiros looked for someone to replace their instructor. She hoped dearly that it wouldn't be the weapons master, Jeritza von Hrym. Something about that man unnerved Dorothea beyond just the weird mask he wore.

A minute later, however, Dorothea's thoughts were interrupted when a familiar stern voice sounded through the classroom.

"Students, please take your seats," said Seteth, the advisor to Archbishop Rhea.

Dorothea groaned in dismay. Seteth was going to teach them? Suddenly Jeritza was starting to seem like a more appealing option.

Seteth made his way to the teacher's desk at the front of the room, dressed in his usual attire and his face bearing his familiar stern countenance.

"As you are no doubt aware, ever since Professor Kurtz's unfortunate passing, we have been seeking a replacement to instruct you here at the academy. I am here to inform you that our search has ended. Your new professor is someone who has been handpicked by the archbishop herself, despite my concerns on the matter."

Dorothea perked up a little at hearing this. It was unusual for a professor to be picked by the archbishop herself, as it was usually Seteth's job to find suitable people for the job. At least, that was how Dorothea understood it.

Looking to the entrance, Seteth then said, "You may enter."

The class turned to see who their new teacher would be.

And as she came in, Dorothea was left totally surprised.

It was the blue-haired woman from before.

As the woman walked toward Seteth, a familiar teal-haired boy, Caspar, said, "No way! YOU'RE our new professor?! You're that mercenary who saved Edelgard, right?"

Dorothea didn't even realize her jaw had dropped as she heard Caspar. She turned to look at Edelgard, as if to see some confirmation of what Caspar had said. The Imperial princess was smiling. It then clicked in for Dorothea: Edelgard knew this mercenary was going to be their new professor the whole time!

As the woman reached her new desk, Seteth said, "May I introduce to you Byleth Eisner. Her father, Jeralt, was once Captain of the Knights of Seiros some twenty years ago. I can only hope for your sakes that she has learned well from her father."

The room was then filled with the murmurs and voices of the Black Eagles, all who bore great curiosity over their mysterious new teacher. Yet their voices didn't even register to Dorothea, who found herself staring Byleth directly in the eye.

And unheard by all but Byleth herself, another voice chimed in from an invisible, green-haired girl.

"I must say, you certainly surprised her, didn't you?" said Sothis.

* * *

_And so begins the journey. I hope to see your thoughts on it as we go._


	2. Rivalry of the Houses

_Time for the second chapter in this long fic, showing off our first battle of the story (of sorts)._

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Rivalry of the Houses (Great Tree Moon)**

A little over a week after Byleth had become the new professor for the Black Eagles, the students of all three houses found themselves in a field on the outskirts of the monastery. A mock battle had been scheduled that day, pitting the first-year students of the three houses against each other. The last team standing would be the winner, and though there wasn't anything to lose in the battle except pride, each student was determined to do their best.

At least, most of them were.

Dorothea let out a loud sigh as Bernadetta darted into a nearby bush to hide. Meanwhile, Linhardt was busy settling down for a nap under a tree, with Caspar unable to rouse him from his drowsiness.

The Black Eagles were going to be hard-pressed to win.

Looking back at their professor, Dorothea saw that Byleth didn't seem at all worried about being two students down right out of the gate. In fact, Dorothea couldn't figure out what Byleth was thinking at all, her face almost like a statue. It didn't inspire much confidence in the diva. She knew Byleth must've had more riding on this mock battle than the others, given that Seteth was using it as a means of judging her skills.

As the class looked out at the field, Hubert said, "Seeing as we are outnumbered, perhaps it would be best for us to let the Blue Lions and Golden Deer fight each other first. Once their numbers are thinned, we can–"

"That won't do at all, Hubert," Edelgard interrupted. "We represent the Adrestian Empire in this fight. If we don't seize victory with our own hands, what will they say of us? No, we will face our foes regardless of any disadvantage!"

"I agree," said Byleth, surprising the others. "They'll think we're weak. We'll use that to our benefit."

"Agreed," said Edelgard. "But first we must choose which house to attack first. The Blue Lions or the Golden Deer? Hmm, I'd say Dimitri is the bigger threat, but who knows what schemes Claude has up his sleeve. Professor, what do you think?"

Byleth paused for a moment as she looked out at the other two teams. Dorothea found herself looking out at the field as well. She didn't like their odds; Dimitri was renowned as a powerful warrior, while Claude was always full of tricks. The Blue Lions were clearly more united in their goal, but the Golden Deer had some powerful students in their ranks, including Lysithea and Raphael.

But when Byleth next spoke, Dorothea's face blanched with dismay.

"We'll take them both on at once."

…

Some ten minutes later, Dorothea could not believe that they were winning.

Byleth had split the remaining Black Eagles to attack both the Blue Lions and Golden Deer. Edelgard, Hubert, Ferdinand, Petra and Caspar had gone after the Golden Deer, and though Caspar had been knocked out by Hilda after she suckered him with her beauty, the rest of the Golden Deer were reeling, with only Claude, Lysithea, Hilda and Professor Hanneman still in the fight. Petra had lured Lorenz, Raphael and Ignatz into chasing her right into an ambush, allowing the others to quickly take them out of the fight. Meanwhile, Leonie and Marianne had both tried taking on Dimitri, who proved more than a match for the Sauin hunter, while Marianne hadn't even put up a fight against the prince. Dorothea was amazed things were going so well.

And that wasn't even taking Byleth herself into account. She had only taken Dorothea with her to go after the Blue Lions, but Dorothea had found herself doing very little of the fighting. Byleth was simply unstoppable. Within a span of seconds, she had knocked out Dedue, disarmed Ashe, and forced Sylvain to surrender. All Dorothea had done so far was catch Annette after the orange-haired girl had tripped on a broken barrel hidden in the foliage.

Dorothea now watched from behind a rock as Byleth engaged in battle with Ingrid. The blonde was putting up more of a fight than her friends had, but it was clear she was struggling to keep pace with the veteran mercenary. In the meantime, Byleth had ordered Dorothea to try and get on the Blue Lions' west flank so she could go after Mercedes. Dorothea was no expert on tactics, but she felt compelled to follow Byleth's lead.

Dorothea's face lit up in astonishment as Byleth made a powerful swing with her practice sword that broke Ingrid's lance in half. Surprised, Ingrid was too slow to react as Byleth lunged forward and pushed the blonde onto her back with her left elbow. Ingrid yelped as she hit the ground and found herself starting right at Byleth's wooden blade before her face. Ingrid grimaced in defeat.

"W-Wow…" Dorothea gasped. "Incredib– AHH!"

Dorothea yelped as she was grabbed by her left arm and thrown roughly to the ground. Cursing herself for getting distracted, Dorothea looked up to see her attacker.

Her eyes went wide with alarm as her gaze met that of Felix Hugo Fraldarius.

She knew she was in trouble. Felix was considered the best sword fighter among the students and she had heard that he had already seen real combat before, helping Dimitri suppress a rebellion in Faerghus. He wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

"Get up and fight," Felix said tersely.

Scrambling to her feet, Dorothea did her best to recompose herself as she readied her training sword. There wasn't time for her to ready a spell; Felix would surely get to her first.

Felix took two paces to his right as Dorothea assumed a stance, one he scoffed at. It was a poor stance, but she had never received proper training in sword combat. Dorothea was more-or-less self-taught, unlike Felix who had received proper instruction. She knew she was just going to end up getting trounced by him. But she couldn't bring herself to run.

Then he rushed at her. With a single blow he sent her wooden blade flying from her grasp. Dorothea yelped as she stumbled back and tripped, falling to the ground before the swordsman.

Before he struck again, Dorothea heard him say, "You're weak."

Dorothea shut her eyes and winced. This wasn't a real fight, but that didn't mean Felix wasn't going to leave some bruises on her.

The clatter of wood against wood met her ears. Startled, Dorothea opened her eyes and looked to see Byleth had rushed in front of her and blocked Felix's strike.

Felix was evidently surprised by this, but he was quick-witted enough to avoid Byleth's reprisal, jumping back to dodge a swing from the professor. He then grinned.

"You're strong, I'll give you that," said Felix. "I'm going to enjoy beating you, Professor."

Felix then shouted as he charged forward, while Byleth assumed a defensive stance. Felix's strikes were quick and precise, but Byleth continually parried each blow, showing a level of skill that left the heir of Fraldarius with a mix of frustration and excitement. At the same time, however, Byleth looked as though she were having trouble finding an opening to attack Felix.

Then, as Felix made another rush, Byleth swung at Felix's blade, their swords locking in a clash. Dorothea could see the look of enjoyment on Felix's face as he tried to overpower Byleth. The two were evenly matched.

As they pushed against one another, Byleth quickly glanced back at Dorothea. For a second, Dorothea was confused as to what she was trying to point out or say. But then, as if guided by some unseen hand, Dorothea instinctively raised a hand as she channeled her magic. The familiar feeling of power flowed through her as her fingers crackled with electricity, ready to be unleashed in one of the few spells Dorothea currently knew.

Felix, so caught up in his fight with Byleth, didn't realize what Dorothea was doing until it was too late. His face lit up in alarm as he tried to jump back, but Byleth shoved him hard as he did, throwing him off balance.

It was just the chance Dorothea had been looking for. She thrust out her hand, sending a surge of electricity into Felix's body and jolting him, his body convulsing. It wasn't nearly enough to threaten his life, but it still looked like it hurt.

The spell soon subsided, and Felix fell to his knees and clutched his right arm as he doubled over in pain, but he kept his gaze locked on Byleth. Shock had been replaced with fury as he realized he had lost.

"You fought well," Byleth said to Felix.

Upon hearing this, Felix grimaced and collapsed, the spell having left him unable to continue the fight.

Dorothea panted for breath at seeing this, and then looked up as Byleth turned around and extended a hand to her. Gingerly, the diva took her teacher's hand as she pulled her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" Byleth asked.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm alright," Dorothea answered. "Thanks for the save."

Nodding, Byleth said, "Come on, let's finish this."

Wordlessly, Dorothea followed Byleth back to the mock battle.

…

The classroom back at Garreg Mach was filled with cheer at the Black Eagles' astounding victory. Everyone was praising Byleth both as an amazing warrior, but also a brilliant leader. Even a few students from the Blue Lions and Golden Deer had come to congratulate Byleth on her victory, yet she took in their praise with solemn humility.

"That was impressing, Professor!" said Petra. Then, realizing her mistake, she added, "I mean… impressive. We gained a victory because of your great leadership."

"I was curious what it would look like if you did not hold back," said Ferdinand. "And you did not disappoint!"

"Hmph. I daresay we owe our victory to Lady Edelgard," said Hubert.

"How so?" asked Linhardt. "For that battle, she was only a soldier following Professor Eisner's command. Sure, she was an incredibly powerful soldier, but…"

"And how much did you contribute to said battle, Linhardt?" Hubert hissed. Linhardt immediately went silent at this.

Quivering under a desk, Bernadetta said, "I'm all done with being on the battlefield, OK? I'd rather stay back than pursue victory out there."

"But Bernadetta, you didn't even fight out there," said Annette, who was seated next to her best friend, Mercedes. "What gives, anyway?"

"Now, now, Annie," said Mercedes. "Maybe Bernadetta just found it too frightening."

"Yeah, but that meant her teammates had to fight without her. If it weren't for Professor Byleth, the Black Eagles would've been crushed."

Groaning, Bernadetta then murmured, "You don't need to rub it in, you know…"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Bernadetta!" said Caspar. "Us being two people down only made our victory even more impressive, am I right?"

"This coming from the one who let Hilda sucker him by unbuttoning her shirt?" said Leonie. "By the way, Hilda, that was pretty devious."

"Devious? That's a heck of a thing to say!" Hilda said, slightly offended.

"I mean, you didn't see Dorothea doing that to Felix, did you?"

The others turned to Dorothea at this point, which brought a light blush to her cheeks.

"She didn't even need to," said Hilda. "Did you see how she zapped him? That was fun to watch."

"He would've gotten me if Professor Byleth hadn't saved me," said Dorothea. She then turned to Byleth and said, "Really, the professor should've gotten him instead of me."

"You did well, Dorothea," said Byleth. "Felix put up a good fight."

"Not good enough, it seems," said a familiar voice, causing everyone to turn to see Felix as he walked toward Byleth.

Everyone seemed to go quiet at this. They knew Felix wasn't a good loser. In particular, Annette looked worried by what could happen next.

As Felix stopped in front of Byleth, he said, "I will admit it, Professor Eisner: you showed me I have much to learn." He then turned to Dorothea and said icily, "Including that I need to watch out for cheap shots."

Dorothea frowned at Felix as he said this.

"There's no such thing as a 'cheap shot' in battle, Felix," said Byleth.

"True enough…" Felix scoffed as spun on his heel and made his way out of the classroom.

As soon as he had gone, Leonie then said, "Don't let him get to you, Dorothea. I'd have done the same thing if I were in your shoes. All's fair in battle, after all."

"Leonie has correctness," said Petra. "In battle, winning is of the most mattering… I mean, matters the most."

"I guess you're right," said Dorothea. "Still, I can't help but wish that I could've taken Felix on my own." Turning to Byleth, she added, "I mean, you took down over half of the Blue Lions singlehanded, Professor. You were unbelievable out there!"

"I just didn't hold back," said Byleth.

"Well, here's to our new Professor!" Dorothea raised her cup of pomegranate juice, prompting several of the others to do the same in cheer.

The festivities would continue for the remainder of the afternoon, much to the delight of a certain invisible girl with green hair.

"This is sure to be an intriguing year for you, my friend," said Sothis.

* * *

_Just for reference, assume the game is being played on Maddening NG+, so Byleth is a tad OP. My build for her is Alert Stance+, Swordfaire, Sword Prowess 5, Quick Riposte, and Darting Blow._


	3. Daily Life (Harpstring Moon)

_Now for a chapter to introduce Fire Emblem's famous redheaded mascot into the mix._

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Daily Life (Harpstring Moon)**

Byleth took in a deep breath as she stretched her arms over her head, having just finished some work in the greenhouse. Despite that she hadn't even been at the monastery for a month now, she found herself quickly adapting to the work there. Planting and cultivation weren't something a mercenary tended to know, but she was a fast learner.

However, as she thought on what to do next, she noticed a familiar brunette looking around at one of the clotheslines. Dorothea had a flustered look on her face; clearly something of hers was missing.

As Byleth approached her, Dorothea noticed her presence and said, "Oh, Professor… Hello." Her face turned slightly red as she spoke.

"Dorothea. Is something wrong?" asked Byleth.

"Well, the truth is, my, um, my undershirt got blown away by the wind… A-and it's not important why, it only matters that it's pale blue."

Hearing this, Byleth thought back to seeing Caspar with a strange cloth of such a color back at the training grounds. He had been using it as a sweat cloth. And it had looked a lot more like a woman's unmentionables than a rag, though Caspar hadn't noticed.

"I… think I might have seen it," said Byleth. "And I think you'll need to get a new one."

"What? Oh no, please don't tell me a dog got it…"

"Let's just say that's what happened."

"Aww… I liked that one… Anyhow, thank you for telling me."

"I'm glad to help."

"I suppose I'll need to go into town to get some new clothes anyhow. Say, how about you come with me?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, um, how do I put this nicely? Your wardrobe is… well, I guess it works on you, but, um… Your sense of fashion is… interesting. Sure, it looks like it works for battle, but for class or social gatherings? Metal plates aren't exactly that flattering."

"They're not?"

"Of course not! You need something that'll make men fall head-over-heels for you. I mean, have you seen yourself in a mirror? You're gorgeous!"

"I don't think–"

"Come on, Professor! Let's get you something new to wear! Just leave it to me!"

"Hold on a– Gwaa!"

Byleth made a brief yelp of surprise as Dorothea grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off.

…

The market bazaar within the monastery was always a lively place. Merchants from all over Fódlan were peddling their wares, with some shouting out to attract customers. Merchandise of all kinds could be found there: clothing, food, antiques, weaponry, and more.

Byleth had never seen such a lively market before. It was hard for her to take in all the sights while Dorothea continued to lead her through the crowds by the arm. It felt a little strange that she was letting one of her students drag her around, but Byleth did nothing to resist.

Dorothea, meanwhile, was busy trying to tell Byleth all about the market, or at least the parts she knew. Dorothea usually only came down to the market to buy new clothing or beauty products, as it wasn't a great place for flirting.

Looking about the market, Dorothea said, "Oh look, they've got some new stuff in from Morfis. Maybe something from there would be… no, never mind, not the right colors. Maybe we'll try… no, no, that wouldn't fit you at all."

"Dorothea, this isn't necessary," said Byleth. "I don't need new clothes. I'm fine with what I–"

"Oh, don't be silly, Professor! You might not have needed it as a mercenary, but you're now a teacher here at Garreg Mach. You gotta look the part!"

Byleth's expression turned to slight exasperation as she thought of Professor Manuela's outfit. The physician's wardrobe could hardly be called professional, yet no one complained about her. What was so wrong with her own outfit?

The two then rounded a corner and saw a row of stores lined up beside one another. There was a particular shop that caught Dorothea's eye.

"Hey, I haven't seen that one before," she said. "It must be new. Let's see what they've got."

The two moved toward the shop. Just as they neared it, however, they were surprised as a scruffy-looking man was thrown out of the shop and crashed onto the pavement face-first.

Then, a familiar grizzled voice said, "Not on my watch, pal."

Two figures stepped out of the shop as the scruffy man tried to push himself up. The first, a blonde scarred man wearing an orange tunic over a set of chainmail, stepped down on the scruffy man's back, pinning him to the ground. The second was a much smaller woman with long red hair in a ponytail, her tunic bearing what looked like a Crest design on it.

"That's right!" said the woman. "You think you can just run off with some of my goods, you thief?! You've got another thing coming!"

"Heh, if you can call it merchandise."

"Hey! That's hurtful, Jeralt!"

The man smirked at this, but then he noticed Byleth and Dorothea. "Oh, Byleth. What brings you here?"

"Father," said Byleth. "What's this about?"

"Father?" asked Dorothea.

The singer took a moment to look at Byleth and then quickly looked over at Jeralt, then she looked at Byleth again. She was surprised by how little they resembled each other.

"That's your dad?" Byleth nodded, so Dorothea added, "He doesn't look anything like you."

"I've heard that one a lot," said Jeralt. "She takes more after her mother than me."

"Hey, By! Long time no see!" said the redhead.

"Anna! What has it been, three years?" asked Byleth.

"Something like that. Wow, how time flies. Your dad and I were just catching up when this jerk tried to run off with some of my stuff!"

"You still haven't taken my advice on keeping your things more secure, Anna," said Jeralt.

"Hey, if I did that, no one would be able to see everything I have to offer."

Turning his attention back to his daughter, Jeralt looked at Dorothea and asked, "And who would this be?"

"Me? I'm Dorothea, former diva from the Mittelfrank Opera in Enbarr. Now I'm a student at the Officer's Academy."

"I see," said Jeralt. "So, she's one of the brats you're teaching?"

Dorothea went wide-eyed at Jeralt's choice of words.

"B-B-B-BRAT?!" Turning to Byleth, Dorothea said indignantly, "Did your father just call me a–"

"Yes, he did," Byleth said nonchalantly. "Don't take it personally; he's always like that."

This answer was not to Dorothea's liking. The singer puffed out her cheeks with an audible pout.

Anna made a short laugh as she said, "You never were one for tact, were you, Jeralt?"

Jeralt ignored this as the thief under his heel made another effort to try and escape. Jeralt simply put more pressure down on the thief's back, then he reached down and grabbed the thief by the arm.

"Alright, I'll just be taking this shoplifter off your hands. Good seeing you again, Anna." With that, Jeralt hauled the thief up to his feet and led him away for punishment.

"Likewise, Jeralt. And thanks for the help! I'll be sure to get you some of that good Sreng stuff you like!"

As Jeralt left their sight, Dorothea sighed and said, "So that was Jeralt the Blade Breaker, huh?"

Byleth nodded at this, and then turned to Anna as the redhead asked, "So, what are you two doing here? Jeralt told me you got yourself a teaching gig, By. How's that going so far?"

"It's certainly a new experience," Byleth answered.

"To answer your first question," said Dorothea, "I was looking to get Professor Byleth some new clothing."

"Ahh. Still wearing those stockings, I see."

"What? They fit just fine."

"I know, By, but you really could use some more variety. Well, you two are in luck!" Anna brought a finger to her cheek with a sly smile as she said, "I was just opening my shop for business here and, seeing as you're an old friend, I'd be more than happy to give you a discount on some new outfits. Right this way!"

"Really?" asked Dorothea. "That's great! Come on, Professor, let's see what she's got!"

Byleth was again surprised as Anna and Dorothea both led her into the shop.

…

Edelgard made a small sigh as she worked to get some of her sheets off a long clothesline. Normally this was something Hubert would have insisted on doing for her, but she didn't want to grow dependent on him for everything. Still, the wind wasn't making the job easy for her.

Just then, a strong gust of wind blew toward her, and one of the sheets came off the clothesline. Edelgard yelped as the sheet blanketed her, sending her to the ground in an undignified heap.

"Urgh, this cursed wind!" Edelgard groaned. "Perhaps I should not have picked today to do my own laundry."

Edelgard scrambled to pull the sheet off her body when she saw Dorothea and Byleth approaching her, each with a bundle of new clothes in their hands. The sight of Byleth, however, brought a small blush to Edelgard's cheeks.

Byleth was now dressed in an outfit that more resembled the student uniforms, with a double-breasted black-and-gold shirt and a short skirt that revealed a large portion of her legs. Her stockings had been replaced with long white socks, and she wore a proper cape instead of her overcoat on her shoulders. To top it all off, a pink hairband now adorned her head.

"Hey, Edie!" said Dorothea. "Liking the Professor's new look?"

Edelgard could not find anything to say to this, much to her embarrassment.

* * *

_Seeing as Anna didn't get any Support conversations from the DLC, I'm going to be taking my own spin on the 3H version of her. She'll be a rather important character as the story goes along. And no, she's not just one of the countless Outworld Anna's out there._

_And please leave reviews. I likes reviews._


	4. Practical Experience

_And so we approach the end of the month relatively quickly. Subsequent months are going to be given more filler, just to note, but it's okay for this one because you really don't have much to do in-game by this point._

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Practical Experience (Harpstring Moon)**

It was at the end of the Harpstring Moon that all three classes had assembled to go to the sacred grounds of Zanado, the Red Canyon. A band of thieves had made themselves at home in the ruins and, seeing an opportunity to give the students some real combat experience, the Church had assigned them to eliminate the bandits. A battalion of the Knights of Seiros had been assigned to support the students, meant to intervene in the unlikely event that things went badly.

It was a usual practice for the Officer's Academy. Each month, the students of all three houses would come together to perform missions assigned to them by the Church. It was meant to improve relations between the three houses by having the students forge bonds through common goals. For many years, the practice had proven effective.

Being the newest Professor, Byleth had been assigned the first-year students of the three houses for this task. Manuela had the second-year students for their own mission while Hanneman had the third-year students in another. Seteth had allegedly opposed letting Byleth lead the mission since she was a newcomer and the mission was to put the first-year students into a real battle, but Rhea had been adamant on the decision. It led many to wonder why the archbishop was putting so much faith in someone she barely knew.

Of course, these things weren't at the forefront of Dorothea's mind. She was more concerned about what they had been sent to do. They were to wipe these bandits out. It wasn't going to be practice or a mock battle; they had to kill or be killed.

Looking around, Dorothea could see the various students chatting amongst each other. Caspar was chomping at the bit to get into a real battle, while Annette and Mercedes continued to chat over their own interests rather than about the upcoming mission. Many of the others were also rather carefree about what was to come, something that didn't encourage Dorothea. Only a few were taking the situation seriously, including Dimitri, Edelgard, Dedue, Hubert, Felix, Lysithea, and of course Byleth.

Soon, the students found themselves nearing the mouth of the Red Canyon. The Knights had moved off to cut off any escape routes for the bandits, but it would be up to the students to do the dirty work. The students were given a few minutes to rest and prepare themselves after their march, and then they would be sent into battle.

Dorothea took the time to sit down on a rock overlooking the canyon. She could barely make out a few moving figures in the ruins, clearly some of the bandits who had noticed their approach. Knowing they were expected made Dorothea uneasy.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke Dorothea out of her thoughts, and she turned to see Byleth walking toward her. The Professor was in her usual attire rather than anything Dorothea had picked out, though Dorothea agreed that it was better suited for combat.

"Something on your mind?" Byleth asked.

"Oh, Professor… I wasn't… um…"

"It's alright if you're nervous."

"No, it's not that. It's just… don't you find it strange that the church is having us experience a real battle? I mean, is it really part of their teachings or something?"

"I can't say. But I do agree that this is a valuable chance we're being given."

"Really? You think the church sending us, students, to kill people, is a 'valuable chance'?"

Byleth was silent for a moment as she looked Dorothea in the eye. As she did, Dorothea internally scolded herself for saying such a thing. It wasn't Byleth's idea to do this, after all.

"I'm sorry, Professor," said Dorothea. "I know this is something that will help in the long run, and that these bandits deserve what's coming. It's just… Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you… remember the first person you killed?"

Byleth paused for a second, and then said, "Vaguely. He was a thief and a murderer, that's all I really remember about him. My father brought me along for a job when I was seven and had me finish him off."

"You were only seven?"

"That's how I remember it."

Dorothea took her own pause before asking, "Does it… get any easier? Killing, I mean."

Byleth knew now what troubled Dorothea, so she answered, "No, it doesn't."

Dorothea nodded silently to this. Then, after a moment of silence, she said, "I've killed someone before."

"You have?"

"Yeah. I was just thirteen when it happened. I was preparing for a play when some men barged into the changerooms. One of the other singers had jilted their boss and they were sent to drag her back to him. Well, one of them saw me and decided he wanted me, whether I wanted it or not. It all happened so fast. The next thing I knew, I'd grabbed a knife and… and…"

Dorothea stopped at this. Byleth could tell the memory was painful to her.

"You don't have to continue," said Byleth.

"Th-Thank you, Professor. Heh, dunno why I even told you all that…"

The two were silent for another moment. Then, Byleth said, "If you don't want to participate, I can–"

"No, Professor, it's alright," Dorothea interrupted. "I'll be okay. At least, I hope so." Pausing again, Dorothea added, "I still remember his face. The look of shock in his eyes."

Another pause. Byleth then said, "I don't remember what my first looked like."

Dorothea frowned and said, "Lucky you."

"You did what you had to, Dorothea," said a familiar voice, prompting Dorothea and Byleth to turn around.

"E-Edie!" Dorothea exclaimed upon seeing the Adrestian princess. "You weren't listening to us, were you?"

"I was," Edelgard answered.

Sighing, Dorothea said, "Well, this is… I can't just ask you to forget about it, can I?"

"I don't believe I could. But Dorothea, let me just say that no one here will judge you for it. You did what was necessary."

"Easy for you to say, Edie. I doubt you've ever experienced what it's like to see the life draining out of someone's eyes."

Edelgard paused with a frown, earning Dorothea's silence. She then said, "You are wrong, Dorothea. I have seen it."

"W-What? Edie, have you–"

"Yes. And I remember him well. I remember the look of disbelief in his eyes when I drove my blade deep into his throat. The sounds, the smells… I remember them as though it were yesterday. And I would do it again if I must."

"Oh my… I-I'm sorry, Edie. I just thought–"

"We all handle it differently," Byleth interrupted. "Dorothea, know that we're here to help if you need it."

"I… Thank you, Professor."

At that moment, the three heard Caspar shout out, "Alright everyone, time to get this show on the road!"

"Caspar, how can you be so eager about this?" asked Ashe.

"Hey, I don't just train for no reason! I've been itching for a real battle, so let's get down there!"

"Try to have some patience, Caspar," said Lorenz. "We must wait on Professor Eisner's order, after all."

Turning back to Byleth, Dorothea said, "I guess that's your cue."

Nodding, Byleth asked, "Are you ready?"

Dorothea looked down at the small moving figures in the canyon below, then took a deep breath as she assumed her diva persona. It was a familiar act; one she would put on before a show or when speaking with snobby nobles who courted her back in Enbarr.

"Like Caspar said," Dorothea said, now with enthusiasm, "Let's get this show started."

* * *

_I wonder whether I went too fast with that whole "Dorothea's already killed someone" reveal. Did I?_

_Also, am I making Byleth a bit too chatty?_


	5. The Red Canyon Offensive

_And now we get the first REAL battle of the series. And the first show of why I'm rating this 'M'._

* * *

**Chapter 5 – The Red Canyon Offensive (Harpstring Moon)**

The attack upon the bandits had begun, and the students now were in the first real fight for their lives. The bandits, an undisciplined and untrained bunch, lacked the skill of the students or Byleth's leadership, but made up for it with their tenacity and greater willingness to kill. However, that advantage was short-lived, as slowly but surely the students were getting over their reluctance to deliver death as each one slew an opponent of their own. Some like Ingrid, Lysithea, Lorenz and Ferdinand weren't all too phased by their first slain opponents, but others such as Ashe, Mercedes, Ignatz and Marianne were clearly troubled. Fortunately, they had the mental fortitude to push it aside for the sake of their classmates.

That is, all but one of them.

Linhardt fell to his knees with a look of horror as he watched his first victim collapse to the ground, blood pooling around him as a result of his Wind spell. The sight of blood had always nauseated him, but the knowledge that he had caused such a display sickened him.

"I… I killed him. What have I done? S-So much blood…" Linhardt wretched as he held his mouth with one hand, clearly about to lose his lunch.

"Linhardt, snap out of it!" shouted Annette. "We're not done here yet!"

As Annette said this, Dorothea turned to the orange-haired girl and, to her shock, saw a female bandit emerge from hiding behind a rock, bearing a crude bow with an equally crude arrow drawn, aimed right at Annette.

"Annie, behind you!" Dorothea shouted, but it was too late.

Annette could only manage a short gasp of surprise before the arrow sank into the back of her right shoulder, sending her to the ground with a scream. The girl curled up as she cried out in pain, her shrieking drawing the attention of Felix. Upon seeing the girl's peril, and the one who had inflicted her injury, Felix snarled as he darted toward the bandit as she reached for another arrow. Felix was upon her before she had cleared her quiver, and his blade went through the bandit's heart, killing her instantly.

Kicking away his latest kill, Felix turned back to Annette, who continued screaming out in agony as Dorothea rushed over to help her. Dorothea immediately checked the girl's wound, finding to her relief that nothing vital had been struck.

"Annie, calm down, please!" Dorothea said as she tried to hold Annette still. "You're going to be okay! You'll be just– Linhardt, help me out here!"

Unfortunately, Linhardt made no move to help, still catatonic from his first kill. Dorothea caught a glimpse of his eyes and saw the sheer horror in them, and realized he wasn't going to be of any help.

By this point, Felix had rushed over to Annette's side. "Annette, stop squirming!" Felix barked.

"AAAAGH! GAAHHH! IT HURTS! IT– AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Annette's screams could be heard by just about everyone in the canyon by this point.

"Just hold still!" As Felix said this, he managed to get a hold on the arrow still sticking out of Annette's shoulder and, with a harsh tug, ripped it out of her. Annette howled in pain at this, and soon was reduced to bawling almost incoherently. Dorothea was thankful the arrow hadn't been barbed, or she probably would've been screaming even louder.

"Is she going to be alright?" Dorothea asked Felix.

"She needs to have this wound sealed," Felix hissed. Then, looking up at Dorothea, he said, "What are you waiting for, woman? Heal her!"

"Me? I don't know the first thing about healing spells!"

Felix hissed at this. Then, looking at Linhardt, he rose up and shouted, "Hevring, get over here and help her!"

"So much blood… So much… urgh…" Linhardt groaned.

Snarling, Felix strode over to Linhardt and, to Dorothea's shock, kicked the green-haired boy in his side, knocking him onto his back.

"Felix, what the hell are you doing?!" Dorothea shouted.

As Linhardt gasped for breath, Felix grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him up to face him. Furious, Felix then said, "If you don't help her in five seconds, I'll–"

"Whoa, whoa, Felix! Same team!" said Sylvain as the redhead slipped in between Felix and Linhardt, separating them with a sweep of his arm.

"Sylvain, Annette's–"

"Got it covered. Look."

Felix turned and saw Mercedes had knelt next to Annette, her magic channeling into the girl's body to heal her bleeding shoulder.

"M-Mercie, it hurts…" Annette whimpered.

"Shh-shh-shh, it's okay, Annie," Mercedes said in a reassuring tone. "You're going to be okay. I'm here for you."

The sight of Mercedes treating Annette's wound caused Felix to loosen up his tense frame, but only slightly. Still angry, he turned back to Linhardt and snarled, "You have ONE job, Hevring! Stop being such a coward and do it!"

"I-I'm sorry… Really, I–"

"Could you be any more useless? Freeze up like this again and I'll–"

"Felix, that's enough!" Sylvain interrupted, far more serious than usual. "Save it for the bandits!"

Dorothea watched as Felix finally started to cool down. With a loud scoff, he wrenched himself free of Sylvain's grasp and stormed off to find more bandits to kill. Sylvain, giving Dorothea a brief shrug and a wink, chased after him.

Turning back to Annette and Mercedes, Dorothea asked, "Will she be okay?"

"Just leave it to me, Dorothea," Mercedes answered. "I've healed worse than this."

"Oh good. I'm going to go find Edie. Can you–"

"I'll get Linhardt back to camp too."

"Thank you so much."

With that, Dorothea ran off to find Edelgard.

…

Claude smirked as he fired another arrow, striking one of the bandits right in his throat. So far it was his third kill of the day, but there were still more to deal with. He looked to his side to see Lysithea blast another with an orb of dark magic while Hilda dealt another a heavy blow from her axe.

Removing her axe from her second kill, Hilda said, "Eww, gross! How does my brother do this all the time? I'm all sweaty and covered in blood!"

Snickering, Claude said, "You seem to have your priorities skewed, Hilda. Fight's not over yet."

Claude then turned to see Dorothea running onto the scene and gave the singer a small wave of his hand.

"A little lost?" Claude asked casually.

"Ah, Claude," Dorothea answered nonchalantly. "Do you know which way Edie went?"

"She went down below with Teach. Probably after the bandits' leader."

"Thanks! Don't mind me, then!"

As Dorothea broke off to run after Edelgard, Claude dropped his playful tone as he said, "Hey, wait! We haven't finished clearing them out yet!"

Unfortunately, Dorothea didn't hear what Claude had said, and turned her head to shout, "What was that?"

"I said we haven't– LOOK OUT!"

Dorothea's eyes widened as she turned back to where she was going and saw, to her shock, a previously unseen bandit swinging his axe at her. Dorothea yelped as she sprung back, narrowly avoiding a gruesome demise, but in doing so she slipped on a loose rock and fell to her back. Dorothea tried to push herself up, but the bandit was already upon her and looking for blood.

Claude immediately drew an arrow and loosed it hastily at the bandit, but he only grazed the man's shoulder. He reached for another arrow, but he knew he would be too late. Hilda and Lysithea, meanwhile, were too far away to do anything to help.

Desperate, Dorothea raised her hand to try and use a Thunder spell but knew she wouldn't finish it in time as the bandit's axe descended toward her.

To her surprise, the axe was parried by a lance as a familiar blonde prince rushed in to protect Dorothea. Dimitri immediately shoved the bandit back, throwing him off balance, and followed up by slashing his lance across the man's face, leaving a deep gouge and sending the doomed bandit spinning to the ground.

As Dorothea gasped in relief, Dimitri turned and extended a hand to her as he asked, "Are you injured?"

It was then Dimitri's turn for a surprise as Dorothea suddenly thrust her hand out and sent a bolt of lightning streaming narrowly by him. Dimitri heard another voice behind him howling out in agony and turned to see another bandit had gotten in behind him. Said bandit was now twitching violently on the ground from Dorothea's spell.

"I'd say I'm better off than him," Dorothea remarked.

With a nervous laugh, Dimitri then said, "Indeed. But please, a little warning next time?"

Dorothea smirked as Dimitri took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Cutting it a little close, Your Princeliness," said Claude.

"Do try not to miss next time, Claude."

"Hey, it was a cross-breeze!"

Before Dimitri could say anything to Claude's excuse, Dorothea said, "Either way, thank you for your help, Dimitri."

"Think nothing of it. I'm not about to let a classmate fall victim to these villains."

Dorothea giggled flirtatiously at this and then said, "Anyhow, I need to track down Edie and the Professor. I'll see you later, Your Highness."

Giving Dimitri a wink, Dorothea skipped off, not knowing Dimitri had been oblivious to her charms.

…

Kostas couldn't believe it. The woman standing before him was the same one who had, over one month prior, saved those three noble brats from him and his men. Now she had led those brats and their friends down to exterminate him and his band of marauders, their route of escape cut off by the Knights of Seiros.

But Kostas wasn't about to give up. He knew the Knights were underestimating him if they had sent students to kill him. He planned to make them regret such a mistake.

"So, what, now you're pals with the Knights?" Kostas snarled at Byleth. "I'll kill you and your pesky brats! I'll kill all of you!"

Byleth said nothing in response, simply assuming her stance. With reckless abandon, Kostas rushed at Byleth with his axe, swinging at her from above. The blow was easily avoided, so he followed up with a horizontal swing, but this too missed its mark. He then tried to swing at her from overhead again, but this time he was met by a swift kick to the chest from one of Byleth's shapely legs.

As he stumbled back, Kostas took another look at Byleth as she reassumed her stance. He then snickered as he ogled her and said, "You know what, mercenary? When I beat you, I won't kill you right away. I'm gonna make your noble brats watch as I fuck you to death instead!"

"Despicable…" said a commanding voice behind him.

Startled, Kostas turned around to see Edelgard brandishing her axe, too late to stop her as she swung her weapon and cleaved deep into Kostas' left shoulder.

The bandit leader howled in agony as Edelgard said, "Do you really think being born a commoner gives you the right to kill?"

She then ripped her axe from his body, letting out a gush of blood from his gaping wound. Kostas fell to his knees as he felt his life slipping away, his eyes in utter disbelief.

It was at this moment that Dorothea ran onto the scene, just as Edelgard raised her axe again for the killing blow. Dorothea winced, knowing what was going to happen next.

"The road to eternal torment awaits you," said Edelgard.

A look of sudden realization sprung upon Kostas' face. Gasping, he wheezed, "Wait, you mean you're–"

Kostas' thought, and his life, ended as Edelgard's axe separated his head from his shoulders.

* * *

_Wouldn't it have been neat if Edelgard and Kostas could've had such an exchange in New Game+ (just so you don't get spoiled in NG)?_


	6. Familiar Scenery

_Now for the aftermath of the battle, and a look at how I'll be merging together parts of all three routes._

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Familiar Scenery (Harpstring Moon)**

The battle had ended in a decisive victory for the students. Though a few had been injured, no one had been killed, and every last one of the bandits had been wiped out. Now all that was left to do was regroup and return to Garreg Mach.

Dorothea sat on a broken pillar to rest as she looked around at her classmates. Annette had bandages around her wounded shoulder, but Dorothea had been told she would make a full recovery. Linhardt, on the other hand, was being consoled by Caspar, though the energetic brawler wasn't helping much due to his boasting. Others like Leonie, Ferdinand, Raphael, and Lorenz were all comparing their kills, and it looked as though no one was truly worse for wear besides Linhardt.

Dorothea sighed in relief at this. They had been lucky, she told herself. Even with Byleth's leadership, it was astounding how they had gotten through the battle without a single casualty. She knew now that Rhea had chosen well when she made Byleth a Professor.

Looking around, Dorothea spotted Byleth down below in the canyon, looking out aimlessly at the ruins. Dorothea had no idea what the Professor might've been looking for.

"Dorothea, it is the time of our leaving," said Petra, prompting Dorothea to turn to the Brigid princess. "Where is the Professor?"

"She's down there, Petra," Dorothea answered. "Hang on, I'll go get her."

As Dorothea got up, Petra asked in confusion, "Hang on? What is it I am hanging on to?"

Dorothea decided to let someone else explain it to her as she walked over to Byleth.

Meanwhile, the blue-haired teacher was listening to her invisible green-haired companion.

"I am quite fascinated by this place," said Sothis. "As far as I can tell, this is your first time here…"

"Still, it feels familiar," Byleth said aloud.

"How very odd. I wonder if somehow, my memories have… Hmm. I must admit I am unsure. Beyond the name and this strange feeling of familiarity, I can't seem to remember anything about this place. And yet… a great depth of emotion is tied to that sense of familiarity. Like joy and sorrow. Pain and love. And all things in between… If I was somehow here before, I wonder what took place…"

"Hmm…"

As Byleth brought a hand to her chin in contemplation, her conversation with Sothis was interrupted by Dorothea's voice.

"Professor?" said Dorothea. "It's time for us to go back to the monastery. Aren't you coming?"

"Huh? Oh, Dorothea. I'll be right with you."

Giving Byleth a smile and a nod, Dorothea turned back to rejoin the others as Sothis continued to speak.

"It is time to depart. But know that time reveals all things. One day, I will remember that which I have lost… Oh, by the way. It seems you've earned my gratitude. The thieves who came here are no more."

Puzzled, Byleth asked under her breath, "Why are you…"

"I am not sure myself, yet I am grateful all the same. In any case… You must become accustomed to my voice! If you fall down with shock each time I speak, that just won't do."

"I wasn't–"

"Oh… You think you're standing strong? Of course you are! It was a jest."

Sighing with some irritation at the invisible girl, Byleth left to rejoin the students as they began the long hike back to Garreg Mach.

…

As the students walked back to the monastery, conversations flowed between them. Dorothea chose to stick with Byleth, though she had chatted with a few of the others as they went.

Dorothea let out a loud sigh as she stretched her arms over her head, a gesture that puffed out her sizeable chest.

"Well, that went better than I could have hoped, Professor," said Dorothea. "We all made it through relatively unscathed. Well, besides Annette. Poor girl."

"Mercedes told me she'll be alright," said Byleth.

"I know, I know. But still, it could've been so much worse."

"You all did a phenomenal job out there."

Sighing, Dorothea said, "Thanks for saying so, Professor."

At that moment, Edelgard found her way through the crowd and, walking up beside Byleth and Dorothea, said, "Professor. Claude told me you were staring out at the canyon after the battle."

"Yeah, you were kinda spaced out there," said Claude as he slinked into the conversation. "Did something happen back there?"

"Actually… I felt something strange while looking out at the canyon," said Byleth. "Like it was… familiar to me."

"Familiar?" asked Dorothea. "What do you mean?"

"I don't really know."

"Hmm, maybe it's a memory from when you were a child," said Claude. "Or from a past life. Anyway, if you can't remember, I guess there isn't really much more to be said. Although, I'll admit, there is something about that canyon that has me captivated as well."

"Oh? And what would that be, Claude?" asked Edelgard.

"How did Zanado come to be called the Red Canyon? Nothing there… was actually red…"

"Your guess is as good as mine. However, on our way out, I had a chance to observe the Red Canyon. The area was covered in ruins, each more curious than the last. They did not match the architectural style of any era or culture within the Empire. Or across all of Fódlan, for that matter. That can only mean one thing… The valley's civilization must have flourished and fallen in the distant past, long before the Empire was established. Who do you think lived there?"

"Hmm… Perhaps a culture long since perished?" Byleth answered.

"Or maybe some kind of subterranean beings?" Claude said jokingly.

Unable to hold back a smirk at Claude's answer, Edelgard said, "It's quite possible they weren't even human. Perhaps their remnants still influence this world…"

"Well, that all sounds pretty bizarre," said Dorothea. "I'm not nearly as well-versed in history or things like that as you two are. Still, it's an interesting thought. Beyond just the ruins, and who might've lived there, what do you think they were like?"

"We may never know, Dorothea," said Edelgard.

"I know, I was just thinking out loud." Then, looking up, Dorothea said, "Oh, we're back already! My, how time flies."

Looking back ahead of them, the group saw they had indeed reached the outskirts of Garreg Mach Monastery. The sun was setting on the horizon, so they were likely to reach the academy once it got dark.

"I hope we aren't too late for dinner. All this walking has made me hungry."

"Yeah, I could go for a lavish feast right about now," said Claude. "Anyhow, it's been a pleasure, ladies, Princess. If you'll excuse me…"

As Claude moved to rejoin the Golden Deer, Byleth continued to ponder on their discussion.

…

Dorothea sighed in contentment as she finished her Peach Sorbet. The dining hall was still filled with chatter as the students finished their victory meal.

Leaning over, Dorothea looked about the dining hall to see Edelgard having a chat with Dimitri.

Curious, and with a sly smile, Dorothea stood up and strode over to them.

"Tell me… Why the concern?" asked Edelgard. "Perhaps you doubt my abilities? If so, your lack of insight is disappointing."

"That's… not what I meant," said Dimitri. "If I've offended you, I hope you'll accept my apology."

"Don't worry about it." Looking over Dimitri's shoulder, Edelgard saw Hubert staring at her and said, "I'd best be off. I need to have a word with Hubert about today's battle."

Edelgard swept past Dorothea as Dimitri continued to watch her with a look of contemplation. Dorothea made a smile at this; this was a perfect chance to get on Dimitri's good side, and maybe even arrange a date.

Playfully, Dorothea asked, "Puppy love, Your Highness?"

Realizing Dorothea's presence and what she had just insinuated, Dimitri laughed and said, "Now that is a lark! You have quite the sense of humor, Dorothea."

"It comes with being an opera star." Then, turning slightly so Dimitri could get a slightly better look at her cleavage, Dorothea said seductively, "You know, I never properly thanked you for rescuing me today."

"I told you, think nothing of it. I was simply helping an ally in need."

Dorothea was confused by this. Dimitri wasn't even reacting to her charms, and this was something that had worked on countless other boys. Was he really not interested?

Then, a familiar deep voice behind Dorothea startled her as Dedue said, "Your Highness, we should be returning to our quarters now."

"I see," said Dimitri. "Have a good evening, Dorothea."

Dorothea watched as Dimitri and Dedue left and then sighed in disappointment.

"So much for getting a date with royalty tonight…"

* * *

_One has to really wonder what the game could've been like if the White Clouds missions were done with all three house leaders together. I mean, they did so well together in Cindered Shadows._

_As to address previous reviews, yeah, I know Kostas' rape threat to Byleth might've been a tad "ick", but I will not be using stuff like that unless it really fits, and even then it will be very infrequent (like maybe 2-3 times total)._

_And yeah, I guess I was heavy-handed with Dorothea's reveal in Chapter 4. Oh well. I'll have to do something about that in future chapters. This is why I want reviews, though, so I can change up things as I go._


	7. Flirting and Faith (Garland Moon)

_Now for an adaptation of the Byleth/Dorothea C-Support._

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Flirting and Faith (Garland Moon)**

The knight who stood before Dorothea blushed as she said, "Well, I had fun today. Of course, you'll want to see me again, yes?"

"O-of course!" said the knight. "I'd love to, Dorothea!"

With a giggle, Dorothea turned and strode away as she said, "Well, until we meet again!"

Knowing he had to return to his duties, the knight left her presence as she walked off. Unbeknownst to him, however, Dorothea hadn't been sincere with him. He was just another unfortunate victim of her flirtatious ways, too inconsequential to be a real prospect for her search. That and Dorothea was sure he was only interested in her body; he had spent most of their time together ogling her curves.

"Typical pervert…" Dorothea sighed to herself.

It was at that moment that a familiar face walked up to her, and Dorothea turned to see Byleth giving her an inquisitive stare.

"Oh! Hello, Professor," said Dorothea. "Were you… watching that?"

Getting straight to the point, Byleth answered, "That's a different guy than I saw you with yesterday."

"Yes… Is there a problem with that?"

Byleth's response was to stare admonishingly at Dorothea, but the diva shrugged it off.

"Look, I know what I'm doing. My acclaim as a diva won't last forever, after all. I must look to the future. You might think about doing the same thing. Your beauty—and you're gorgeous—won't last forever."

"Getting older doesn't bother me at all," said Byleth.

"I wish I could be that easy going. Anyway, I'm not just playing games with these boys. This is for my future. You have no right to object. I very much want to find a good partner here at the academy. Someone who will take care of me for the rest of my life."

"Is that really what you want, Dorothea?"

"Finding someone to take care of me? Of course it is! Who could ask for anything more?"

Byleth could only frown in slight disappointment at this.

"Anyway, I value your opinion, Professor, but I won't have you interfering with my plans." Then, making a cheeky smile, she added, "Unless you'd like to take care of me into my old age? That'd be something, eh? How about it, Professor?"

"I… um…" Byleth found herself at a loss for words.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I was just teasing. Or did you really just consider spending your whole life with me? The thought hadn't crossed my mind before. But come to think of it… that might sound pretty nice."

As Dorothea giggled, Byleth continued to find herself at a loss for what to say. Romance wasn't something she was used to.

"You've gotten awfully quiet…" Dorothea said playfully.

Clearing her throat, Byleth said, "In any event, I'm not here to criticize you on your romantic pursuits. I'm here because I'd like you to join me in the library."

"Oh? Are you asking me out, Professor?" Dorothea asked with a wink.

"Not quite."

"Well, this all sounds like a date to me. Very well, then. Lead the way, Professor."

Dorothea then followed Byleth down the hallway.

…

"Umm, Professor? When I asked you if you were taking me on a date, this isn't what I had in mind…"

The two found themselves in the library at this point, with dozens of books laid out in front of them. They were tomes on magic, specifically of the Faith variety, something which had never appealed to Dorothea.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Dorothea asked.

"Studying."

"Huh? That's not romantic at all!"

"It's not supposed to be. You and I are going to be studying Faith magic."

"Hey, hold on! I didn't agree to this! If this is all we're doing, then–"

"Consider it an extra assignment from your Professor."

"What?! No fair! Why do I have to get the extra work?"

"Because I need the Black Eagles to have a healer who won't freeze up in the middle of battle. You saw what happened to Linhardt in Zanado."

Dorothea bit her lip as she remembered Linhardt's panic attack. She knew where Byleth was going with this; Annette had been lucky that Mercedes had been around, but they couldn't depend on that all the time.

She then added, "Yeah, but you could study it yourself. I've never been that interested in Faith magic. I prefer the kind that lets me fry my enemies."

Byleth made a short "Hmm" to this. Then, looking at one of the books, she got an idea and picked it up.

"Well, if that's what you're most interested in, then how about this one?" Showing the book to Dorothea, Byleth added, "It looks like a Faith spell meant for attacking your enemies."

"Really?" Now interested, Dorothea asked, "I didn't know there were Faith spells meant for offense."

"Neither did I. Then again, I'm no expert on magic, but I hope to learn. Maybe you can find a use for this one."

Taking the book from Byleth, Dorothea said, "Well, maybe. But Professor, why are you trying to learn magic? I mean, you're amazing with a sword! Surely you can get by without spells, right?"

"The staff at the monastery are expected to broaden their knowledge as they teach. Professor Hanneman actually came to me recently for some advice on tactics."

"Really? I thought he was only interested in his Crest research."

"The point is that there's no harm in expanding your horizons a bit. If I learn to cast spells, that's sure to be useful. So come on, have a seat and study."

Dorothea took a moment to think about all this. Truth be told, she wanted to get out and continue trying to find a good husband, but Byleth's argument was strangely compelling. The more and more Dorothea thought on it, the more the idea appealed to her, even though it had never done so before. But she was still uncertain about it as a whole.

"Oh, I don't know…" said Dorothea.

"You'll have plenty of time to look for your perfect match later. Please, I insist."

Sighing, Dorothea asked, "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

Byleth silently shook her head.

With another sigh, Dorothea said, "Alright, alright. I've never been all too pious, but I suppose I can give it a try."

With that, Dorothea took a seat across from Byleth and opened the book. The magical formulas seemed akin to what little Dorothea knew, though they weren't like the Anima spells she was presently studying. These seemed to rely more on devotion to the Goddess or in some divine power rather than the manipulation of Mana, the energy of which all magic stemmed from. Unfortunately, Dorothea had never been religious.

An hour passed as the two continued to pour over the books. Dorothea soon found herself bored out of her mind. She looked over at Byleth to see the Professor was still intently reading over the spell formula for the simple Heal spell.

"Hey, Professor?" asked Dorothea. "Why the interest in magic now?"

"It was something Hubert asked me," said Byleth. "He asked what I would do if I were told to instruct someone on a topic that I had little knowledge of. I told him that I would take the time to learn about the material ahead of time."

"That's… actually a really smart answer."

"He said much the same."

"Taking my question to heart, are we?" said a familiar raspy voice, prompting the two women to turn to look at the dark-haired son of House Vestra.

"Hubie," said Dorothea. "What a coincidence."

"I do hate to interrupt your little study session, Professor Eisner," said Hubert, "but the Archbishop was looking for you. I am simply here to convey that."

"I see," said Byleth. "Thank you for bringing that to my attention." Closing her book and standing up, Byleth said, "I suppose you can get back to your searching, Dorothea. We'll pick up on this later."

Byleth strode out of the library, leaving the two Black Eagle students behind.

After a moment, Dorothea then asked, "Hey, Hubie? Why didn't the Professor ask you to learn about this Faith magic stuff first? I mean, you're a way better spellcaster than me."

"She did," Hubert answered simply. "I refused. I have no interest in learning the healing arts."

"Of course…" Dorothea sighed, having somewhat expected such an answer.

* * *

_Kind of a funny way for Dorothea to start learning Faith, isn't it?_

_Adapting Dorothea's support conversations into my chapters is something I'll be doing, but I won't be doing it for every character. That'd drag things out too long._


	8. Aspirations and Mistranslations

_More Supports coming, this time a merger between the Dorothea/Edelgard, Dorothea/Petra, and Edelgard/Petra C-Supports._

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Aspirations and Mistranslations (Garland Moon)**

Edelgard frowned as she pondered to herself. So much was on her mind, and much of it was due to the incompetence of the many nobles within Enbarr. It was almost sickening to her to think of how few of them truly deserved their titles. She could probably count the good ones on two hands.

"Hey, Edie!" said Dorothea as she walked up to Edelgard. "Uh-oh, you're scowling again. You're going to get wrinkles all over that cute face of yours if you don't smile more."

"Hello, Dorothea," Edelgard said, turning to the singer as she did. "I was just lost in thought."

"Oh? What about?"

"There are so many things to be done—to think of them makes my head ache sometimes." With a groan, Edelgard continued, "So many nobles of the Empire are utterly useless! When I am emperor, I intend to appoint only those who can actually be useful. It doesn't matter if they're of noble or common birth."

"Noble or common, eh? Can you really do that? I mean, not that I don't agree. I'd make all those nobles vanish if I could… Especially a select few."

"It's not a question of can or cannot. All that matters is doing it and doing it right. The nobility system has only been around for twelve-hundred years. The concept didn't exist before that."

"Only 1,200 years, huh?" Snickering, Dorothea added, "You always say such preposterous and extraordinary things, Edie. Yet somehow, you actually make it work for you. It's like you're a character from an opera."

Puzzled, Edelgard said, "A character from an opera… Hm. If an opera is made about my life someday, I wonder how I'll be portrayed. Will I be the revolutionary who guided the Empire to a new dawn…? Or the foolish ruler who took her revolution too far…?"

Dorothea had to chuckle a bit at this. Edelgard always was a bit melodramatic when it came to things like this, but it was part of her charm.

"Well, that all sounds pretty violent. But either way, it would make an incredible opera. Do you figure it'd be a grand action piece full of combat and strife? Or would you prefer a somber political drama?"

Then, deciding to ruffle the princess' feathers a little, Dorothea took a deep breath as she raised her voice, bringing out the singer in her.

"~Hail the mighty Edelgard, though red blood stains her story… Heavy as her crown may be, she will lead us all to glory… To a brighter dawn, we shall carry on… Hail Edelgard~!"

Edelgard's face went bright red at this.

"That's quite enough, Dorothea. I'm starting to feel more than a little embarrassed." As Dorothea giggled, Edelgard added, "Lovely as your voice is, let's just hope that any operatic productions about me are still a ways off."

Still laughing, Dorothea said, "Sorry, Edie, I couldn't help myself."

"I was liking your singing greatly, Dorothea," said another voice, prompting Edelgard and Dorothea to turn to Petra as the Brigid princess walked up to them.

"Oh, Petra! How are you doing? Getting used to life here?"

"I am settled. Everyone shows great kindness, even while I am still learning about the language."

"I'm glad you're flourishing in your new environment, Petra," said Edelgard.

"You know, I was so surprised when you first arrived," added Dorothea. "A princess, all the way from Brigid!"

"You have my gratitude, but please do not call me princess," said Petra. "You are making my cheeks blush!"

"There's nothing to blush about. You're every little girl's dream of what a princess should be. Oh, sorry Edie!"

"No need to apologize, Dorothea," said Edelgard. "After all, a Brigid royal like yourself is of vital importance to the future of the Empire. If you ever need anything, please let me know. It's my job to watch out for you, after all."

"If that is your want," said Petra. "I will rely on you if I have the need."

"I suppose it's been a long time since you've been back to Brigid, hasn't it, Petra?" asked Dorothea. "I hope you aren't homesick. Maybe we can cook one of your favorite dishes from back home?"

"That's an interesting idea," said Edelgard. "I've never had Brigid cuisine before."

"I do wish for that, but there is no possibility," said Petra. "The ingredients are not found here."

"I suppose you're right," said Dorothea. "I'm sorry. I just got to thinking about how hard it must be to live somewhere so far away from home and… No. It can't be impossible. I'll fix you a real meal of Brigid. I'll just find a recipe and similar ingredients!"

Edelgard and Petra both blanched at this.

"Wait, Dorothea," said Petra. "It is the thinking that counts. But your cooking is… what is the word…?"

"Horrendous?" Edelgard asked, despite that it brought a look of dismay to Dorothea's face.

"Yes, that is the word: horrendous. That is what everyone is saying anyway."

"H-Horrendous?!" Dorothea said in shock. "Nobody's cooking can be that bad!"

"I'm afraid I must disagree with you, Dorothea," said Edelgard. "Do you remember the meal you cooked two months ago? I don't think I've ever tasted something so…" Edelgard frowned at the memory.

"E-Edie!" Dorothea stomped her foot in indignation at this.

"The thinking is enough for me. You have my biggest gratitude," said Petra.

"Oh, fine. I'll do something instead of cooking for you. I just want to be sure that you feel at home here. How about a massage? That may help you loosen up."

"I have no problems. My body is already able to relax."

"Oh? Then perhaps I could sing you lullabies to help you sleep!"

"I am not having sleeping trouble."

Disappointed, Dorothea said, "Hmm, there must be something I can do for you."

"Actually, there is something that I am thinking."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I heard over Sylvain describing me to another classmate as a 'hot tea.' Is this good because tea is bad when it is cold? Or is he meaning tea that is hot is bad because it burns the tongue? Am I too hot for liking of the boys?"

For a moment, Dorothea and Edelgard were silent as they looked at each other, and then at Petra.

And then the two broke out in a fit of laughter.

"Oh, Petra! I-I didn't think it was about–" Unable to continue, Dorothea let out a slew of laughter that could be heard throughout the hall, something that left Petra completely confused.

Managing to contain her own mirth, Edelgard said, "Petra, I don't believe Sylvain was talking about tea. He was simply referring to you as an attractive young woman."

"Oh? But why would he call me a 'hot tea'?" asked Petra.

It would take a while for Edelgard to explain the meaning to Petra, all while Dorothea continued to laugh herself silly.

* * *

_Totally something Petra would get wrong, am I right?_

_I hope to make more merged Support conversations like this in the future. This one flowed together so well that it just wrote itself._


	9. A Thunderous Duel

_Yet another story battle coming up, but in the meantime let's get some 1v1 action!_

* * *

**Chapter 9 – A Thunderous Duel (Garland Moon)**

The end of the Garland Moon approached as the first-year students marched along Magdred Way toward Gaspard territory for their monthly mission. They were not expected to fight this time, though. They had been sent to deal with the aftermath of an uprising started by the head of Castle Gaspard, Lord Lonato. He had turned his sword and those of his men against the Church of Seiros, and the Knights had been sent to put down his rebellion.

As Rhea had put it, it was a good opportunity to show the students the consequences if they ever thought to turn their blades against the Church of Seiros.

Still, due to the abundance of fog that had been in the area for several weeks now, Rhea had seen fit to assign the finest knight in the Church of Seiros to guard the students: the legendary Thunder Catherine. She was considered the greatest of the Crusaders of Seiros, each whom was handpicked by the archbishop for their skill and bravery, and she was also seen by some as the greatest swordswoman in all of Fódlan.

That, of course, led to a lot of the students wanting to ask her questions, and a few like Felix and Caspar wanting to challenge her to a duel.

But it was when the students made camp later in the day that Catherine herself issued a challenge. And it wasn't to any of the students.

Dorothea looked on in slight apprehension as Byleth assumed a stance with a wooden sword and stood opposite to Catherine. The blonde swordswoman certainly looked the part, with a steel breastplate that, to Dorothea's curiosity, was molded for Catherine's considerable bust, but otherwise her wardrobe was one made for practicality in battle. It was covered in scratches and blemishes that showed Catherine had seen years of fighting.

In short, both Dorothea and Byleth knew that she was not to be underestimated.

"The students seem to have taken a real liking to you, Professor Eisner," said Catherine, her tone boisterous and confident. "Let's see just what's drawn them to you."

Byleth did not respond to this, focusing more on her stance. Meanwhile, the students continued to cheer as they eagerly awaited the fight to start.

"Come on, Professor!" shouted Annette. "Show her what you've got!"

"You can take her, Professor!" added Caspar.

"You'd better not lose, or I'll let Captain Jeralt know!" said Leonie.

"Hahaha, this is going to be fun! Right, Ignatz?" said Raphael, giving his best friend a hard pat on the shoulder.

"Y-Yeah, this should be interesting," Ignatz said unsteadily, mostly because of how Raphael didn't know his own strength.

As Dorothea watched, she jumped slightly as Claude slid behind her and asked, "Who do you think's gonna win?"

"Claude!" Dorothea said with a start. "Well, how should I know?"

"Okay, okay. Let me rephrase: Who do you want to win?"

"I… um…"

Before Dorothea could come up with an answer, Catherine made the first move. The sword master rushed forward and made an overhead swing at Byleth, moving so quickly that the students were amazed that Byleth had time to avoid it. Byleth retaliated with a horizontal strike, but her strike was easily parried by Catherine, who responded with a quick slice that forced Byleth to dodge backward. Catherine smirked as she delivered another rapid strike that Byleth parried. The two exchanged blows rapidly and precisely, all while the students cheered and shouted at their duel.

Dorothea was amazed by Catherine's skill, but was further impressed by how well Byleth was keeping pace with the master swordswoman. The two seemed evenly matched.

But as she continued to watch the intense fight, Dorothea's attention was drawn to the sight of Ashe, who was standing next to Dedue. The young grey-haired boy was staring quite intently at Catherine's every move, though it was not a look of admiration. It was hard to tell what Ashe was thinking. Dorothea knew that Ashe was the adoptive son of Lord Lonato and had known nothing as to why the Kingdom lord decided to start his uprising. He, more than anyone, wanted to know what Lonato was doing.

But what did Catherine have to do with any of it?

Catherine jumped back and then, to everyone's surprise, sprung forward with a yell, rushing Byleth in a move that would've caught even the most battle-hardened warrior off guard. But somehow, Byleth reacted perfectly to it, meeting Catherine's strike in a clash that locked their blades together. Everyone was astonished by this.

"Nice moves!" said Catherine. "You're good, I'll give you that! But I'm not finished yet!"

With her last word, Catherine's body let off a flash of light as a symbol briefly materialized over her head. It was a symbol the students recognized: the Major Crest of Charon. As its power fueled Catherine's might, Byleth grunted loudly as the swordswoman began to overpower her.

"Aah! Not good!" squeaked Bernadetta.

"Hey, no fair!" shouted Caspar.

"Do not be losing, Professor!" added Petra.

Just when it seemed like Byleth was about to be shoved back, the Professor let out a shout of her own as her body radiated with a brief green glow. Just like Catherine, a symbol materialized for an instant over her head, but unlike the Crest of Charon, this was a symbol that no one appeared to recognize. Additionally, the symbol did not even look complete, and looked more like a fragment of a whole.

Catherine's eyes widened in shock as Byleth began to push her back, but she quickly regained her wits and wrenched her blade to the side, surprising Byleth as the Professor's wooden sword went flying from her grip.

"You're mine!" Catherine shouted as she thrust her sword at Byleth's chest.

Then, everyone's jaw dropped as Byleth swiftly brought her hands together and caught Catherine's sword between her hands, the tip not even an inch from hitting her right between her ample breasts.

Catherine was truly dumbfounded at this.

"How the hell…?"

Byleth, still channeling the power of her mysterious Crest, pivoted her hands at an angle and snapped Catherine's wooden blade like a twig. Then, with another shout, she tossed aside the broken piece of the blade and swung a fist at Catherine's head. But Catherine, her reflexes serving her well, countered with her own punch.

Both fighters struck the other's head at the exact same moment, sending them both to the ground.

Everyone was silent for a moment as the two fighters recovered from each other's blow. Catherine spat out a small amount of blood while Byleth nursed her throbbing forehead.

And then Catherine began to laugh joyfully.

"That was GREAT!" shouted Catherine. "You're full of surprises, Professor! I haven't had a fight that good in a long while!"

It was at this moment that everyone started cheering again. The fight might've ended in a draw, but it was clear to everyone that Byleth was every bit as skilled as Catherine.

Gasping for breath, Byleth said, "You almost had me there. It could have gone either way. I see why Rhea trusts you so much."

"Same to you, Professor." Rising to her feet and striding over to Byleth as she stood, Catherine extended a hand to the Professor and said, "It'll be a pleasure working with you."

Rising as well, Byleth took Catherine's hand in a handshake.

"But for the record, if I had been using Thunderbrand, I don't think you could've pulled off that blade catch move," Catherine said with a smirk.

Byleth said nothing to this, though her silence said enough.

The students continued to cheer and chat about the fight, while Dorothea sighed in some relief at the result.

"That was a-MAZING!" said Hilda. "Seriously, I thought Catherine was gonna wipe the floor with the Professor once she used her Crest."

"Who would've thought Teach had one of her own," said Claude. "Though I've never seen that one before."

"Yeah, me neither. Hey Professor, what Crest is that?"

Looking at Hilda and Claude, Byleth hesitated before answering, "I… have no idea."

"Huh?"

"I didn't even know I had one until after Professor Hanneman ran a test on me."

"Are you serious?" Leonie asked incredulously. "You've gotta be joking! I mean, Captain Jeralt's got a Major Crest of Seiros, somehow, and you didn't even know if you had one?"

"It never came up when I was a mercenary."

"How very strange," said Ingrid. "Surely Professor Hanneman would have told you what Crest it is, wouldn't he?"

"He didn't know either. He thinks it's some kind of 'mystery Crest', whatever that means."

"Interesting that Professor Hanneman couldn't determine it," said Linhardt. "Perhaps he'll ask for my help in researching the subject."

The students continued to chatter with Byleth and Catherine, but Dorothea ducked out of the conversation once the subject of Crests had started. She had no love for Crests, nor for the society that had been built upon their value.

But as she looked away, she caught sight of Edelgard, who seemed lost in thought. Hubert walked over to the Imperial princess.

In words that no others could hear, Hubert said to Edelgard, "You saw it as well, my lady?"

"How could I not, Hubert?" whispered Edelgard.

* * *

_Got the idea for the double-knockout while watching a few Naruto clips, specifically Sakura VS Ino, Chunin Exam._

_Something I need to note, though, is that even if I might not be ultra-descriptive when it comes to fight scenes, that doesn't mean you can't use your imagination a bit when things get ambiguous._

_Also, I've come up with the whole "Crusaders" title to differentiate Catherine (as well as Gilbert and maybe Alois) from other members of the Knights of Seiros (i.e. the Holy Knights of Seiros battalions)._


	10. Mutiny in the Mist

_Time for the month's story battle, one that I'm sure left a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouths. This will also include our first look at how the Divine Pulse is going to be factored into the story._

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Mutiny in the Mist (Garland Moon)**

It was all supposed to be a clean-up mission. At least, that had been the intent.

But the students now found themselves fighting for their lives as Lonato's rebels attempted to cut them down. A significant force of them had slipped through the perimeter set by the Knights of Seiros under the cover of fog, and if the students didn't stop them, they would be well on their way towards Garreg Mach Monastery. Their objective was clear: stop the rebels from breaking through.

But it was who they were fighting that made them hesitate. The bulk of the rebels were not trained soldiers, but a peasant militia. Men and women who should have been in their homes doing chores, tending their fields or seeing to their families. Instead they were now locked in battle with the students, who had no choice but to strike them down.

Dorothea fired a bolt of lightning from her hand, striking a woman armed with little more than a pitchfork and sending her to the ground. The singer winced as the peasant began screaming. In the chaos of the fighting, Dorothea couldn't make out a name, but she knew the woman had to be screaming for a loved one.

Trying to keep her mind on the battle, Dorothea turned to see Dimitri parry a clumsy swing from another peasant's axe that was aimed at Marianne. Dimitri easily followed up by thrusting his lance through the man's chest, causing him to drop his axe.

"Lord Lonato…" the man gasped. "Please, don't die…"

The peasant slumped over as his eyes went dim. Marianne could only watch with a look of horror across her pale face.

"I am sorry," said Dimitri, "But did you really think you would get away with this?"

Dorothea turned away from the gruesome display, but immediately she was met with the sight of Petra dodging another peasant carrying a crude sword.

"You think we're just gonna do nothing while you try to kill our lord?!" shouted the peasant, raising his weapon for another strike.

But Petra was far too quick. The Brigid princess darted forward with her own blade and slashed open the peasant's stomach. Dorothea turned away again, knowing the man would be dead before long.

"Lord Lonato doesn't deserve such sadness and anger… Now it's your turn to suffer!" shouted another voice, this one from an older man wielding a hoe.

The man was standing over Ignatz, who struggled in pain to get up as the man raised his hoe, about to plunge its blade down into the boy's back. His swing was interrupted by Raphael, who grabbed the garden tool and wrenched it from his grasp before delivering a punch to the peasant's gut. The peasant went down, coughing up blood as he lay on the ground.

"Sorry, pal," said Raphael. "But I can't just let you hurt my best friend."

"T-Thanks, Raphael," said Ignatz as he pushed himself up.

Ignatz then yelped as his left leg seemed to give out, and Dorothea could clearly see the cut running down his shin.

"Easy, buddy. I got you," said Raphael as he wrapped an arm around Ignatz's torso and lifted him up. He then shouted out, "Healer! Need a healer here!"

Dorothea cursed herself at this moment. She hadn't been taking Byleth's sessions on Faith magic all too seriously, but now would've been a good time to know such magic.

It was to her surprise, then, that Linhardt came running out of the mist and knelt down next to Ignatz and Raphael.

"Let me see," said Linhardt. He then waved his hand, channeling his magic into Ignatz's wound and closing the cut.

"Lin!" said Dorothea. "I thought you were back at camp."

"That was my intent at first, but the Professor insisted I come along." Finishing his work, he then said, "Alright, good as new."

"Much appreciated!" said Ignatz as Raphael let go of him, allowing the bespectacled boy and his muscular friend to return to the fight.

Dorothea walked up to Linhardt as the green-haired boy took a deep breath. All the carnage around him must not have been good for his well-being.

"Lin, are you–"

"Now isn't the time to worry about me, Dorothea," Linhardt interrupted. "Listen, I suspect that this fog is magical in nature. This sort of thing would usually be sustained by a mage."

"So, we need to find him and take him out."

"Unless you plan to fight this whole battle blindfolded, yes."

"Thanks, Linhardt. I'll let the Professor know… if I can find her in all this."

But just as she said this, the fog suddenly began to dissipate.

"It would appear she already knows," said Linhardt.

Dorothea had already started running to find Byleth even before Linhardt finished his thought.

…

Byleth swung her blade to her side as she stood over the body of a Gaspard mage, sending a splash of blood to the ground. With the mage dead, his fog spell was now dissipating. This would allow the rest of the Knights of Seiros to locate and reinforce them. All the students had to do now was hold out until they got there.

A shout drew her attention to another rebel as he charged out of the mist at her. This one was a knight rather than a peasant, clad in heavy armor. Byleth leapt back as he swung a heavy axe at her, easily avoiding the strike. Her attempt at a riposte, however, was met by the knight's steel shield, which deflected her attack. The knight then shoved forward with his shield, forcing Byleth to stumble back.

Byleth knew she would have trouble with him. As good as she was with a sword, her weapon didn't have the bite to get through such thick armor with any ease.

But then she saw Dorothea running through the mist toward her, readying a Thunder spell as she ran. At the same time, another rebel came running out of the trees, his sword poised to stab the diva in the back.

"Behind you!" Byleth shouted, but her warning was too late.

Dorothea made a loud choking gasp as the rebel's blade pierced her back. Her eyes widened and her pupils narrowed in shock. Byleth could see tears beginning to form in the singer's eyes.

A sound like shattering glass filled Byleth's mind as time ground to a halt. The world around her froze as still as a statue, and all colors seemed to invert across her vision.

It was the power given to her by Sothis, one she had used to save her own life over two months prior when she had nearly taken an axe to her spine from Kostas while protecting Edelgard. Now she hoped to use this power to save another. The power to turn back the sands of time… the Divine Pulse.

Byleth watched as the blade exited Dorothea's back in a reversal of how she had been stabbed. The girl ran in reverse back into the fog, along with the rebel who had stabbed her. Within an instant, Byleth was now back several seconds before Dorothea's fatal wound.

"You have your chance now," Sothis said in Byleth's mind. "Now go and challenge that girl's fate."

Time began to flow again, with all colors reverting to normal.

Byleth dodged the knight's strike again, but this time made no attempt to riposte, knowing it was fruitless. Instead she dashed toward the knight and, catching him off guard, shoved his shield, making him stumble backward. But she made no effort to attack him afterward; her focus was on saving her student.

Dorothea once again came out of the fog, spotting Byleth running toward her. Dorothea again readied her Thunder spell to be used on the knight that was whirling around to attack the Professor from behind, and again the singer was oblivious to the rebel behind her.

Without a word, Byleth drew her dagger and threw it at the rebel, narrowly missing Dorothea's shoulder. Dorothea gasped in shock, and then heard a loud gurgling behind her. She whipped around to see the rebel with Byleth's dagger in his throat. The rebel slumped to the ground as Dorothea realized just how close she had been to dying.

A loud shout behind Byleth reminded her of the knight she had been fighting, and she whipped around to block his strike. She narrowly positioned her blade before the knight's axe, and then yelped as the force of the blow sent her flying off her feet, her sword clattering to the ground, broken in two.

"Professor!" Dorothea shouted in concern.

Immediately she thrust out her hand, sending a bolt of lightning into the knight. The knight's thick armor was useless against such magic. He stumbled back a couple of steps as he was electrocuted, and then fell to the ground with a loud metallic thud.

Dorothea gasped for breath. She had already been throwing several spells by now, and it was taking its toll on her. She looked over to Byleth and, to her relief, saw the Professor was only lightly injured.

The diva rushed to Byleth's side as she said, "Professor, are you alright?"

Groaning briefly, Byleth said, "I've had worse." Then, seeing her broken sword, she made a groan of disappointment.

"Well, better it than you," Dorothea remarked as she looked at the sword.

…

Ashe was heartbroken. All around him, people he had known as a boy, people who had been kind to him, were dying. Some of them were even dying by his own hand; he had shot the town baker in the chest when he had tried to kill Mercedes. He had no choice, he told himself. But that didn't change the fact that he had killed a man who had shown nothing but kindness to him.

And now he was staring up at the man who had taken him in and raised him as an adoptive son. Lonato Gildas Gaspard's lance was trained upon Ashe, who had dropped his weapon in an attempt to show he meant no harm to his mentor.

"Stand aside, Ashe," said Lonato. "I must destroy these evil-doers by any means necessary!"

"Please stop, Lonato!" begged Ashe. "Whatever your reason for doing this, we can still talk it out!"

"Rhea is an infidel who has deceived the people and desecrated the goddess! We have virtue and the goddess herself on our side!"

"Even if all that's true, dragging the townsfolk into it like this isn't right! Please, you must surrender for their sake!"

"I can do no such thing, Ashe. If I did, it would be a disgrace to Christophe's memory. That witch had him executed for a crime he did not commit! I must see her face justice for it!"

"Lonato, I miss Christophe too, but this won't bring him back!"

"Enough, Ashe! If that is how you feel, then prepare yourself! I'm putting an end to this!"

Lonato's horse reared back as he spurred it forward. Ashe yelped in shock as his mentor charged at him and swung his lance.

His blow was met by a blade that glowed a bright orange light, cleaving off the head of Lonato's lance.

Lonato spun his horse around as he slowed it down from his charge, tossing away his broken lance as he turned with a look of utter hatred at the woman who had condemned his son to death.

"It's you…" Lonato hissed. "Thunderstrike Cassandra! It was your wretched zealotry that killed my son! I will be the one to kill you, no other!"

Catherine turned to face Lonato with a look of grim determination. Her true weapon, the Hero's Relic Thunderbrand, glowed vibrantly in her hand as it crackled with red electricity and the Crest Stone on its pommel shone a red light.

"You have lost all sense of justice, Lonato," said Catherine. "You want to fight me? So be it. I'll send you to meet your goddess… and to Christophe."

"You DARE to speak his name?!" Lonato raged as he drew his sword. "He was your friend! He trusted you! And you sent him to his death in the name of that apostate witch!"

Lonato let out a shout as he spurred his horse forward, charging at Catherine. Catherine readied a stance and rushed to meet Lonato.

"LONATO, NOOO!" Ashe shouted, but it was too late to stop what came next.

Catherine yelled as she leapt up at Lonato, who was too slow to react, and cleaved through his armor in a single well-aimed strike. With a howl of agony, Lonato fell from his horse, crashing on his back as Catherine landed neatly a few meters from him.

As his lungs filled with blood, Lonato sputtered and said, "That vile woman… Christophe… Forgive me…"

Rushing to Lonato's side, Ashe looked at the mortal wound Catherine had given the lord of Gaspard. He knew there was no saving him.

"Lonato, I…"

"Ashe… I'm… sorry…"

With that, Lonato's head slumped to the side, and his eyes closed for the last time.

Catherine could only watch in remorse as Ashe wept for his former mentor.

* * *

_Anybody else feel sorry for Ashe? T_T_

_Anyhow, writing the Divine Pulse in action is no easy feat. Be on the lookout for the various limitations and drawbacks I've put in for the purposes of the story._


	11. A Harsh Reality

_Hope everyone's doing alright with all the COVID-19 scares. Me? I can't go to work for at least two weeks. :(_

_And now for one of Chris Hackney's best scenes in the game. Really, he NAILED this part in the game._

* * *

**Chapter 11 – A Harsh Reality (Garland Moon)**

To say that the students were uncomfortable with the slaughter they had just been a part of would have been a severe understatement. The Knights of Seiros had arrived and routed the remaining rebels, but the damage had long been done.

"Damn it!" Caspar cursed. "It was all so pointless. I've never seen so many people utterly heartbroken…"

"Forcing innocent citizens to risk their lives…" said Ferdinand. "That man was not a noble, but a monster."

"Dear Goddess…" prayed Marianne. "I beg your guidance. Why did these people have to suffer? Why did we have to…" Marianne could not even finish her prayer, choking on her words.

"That fool, Lonato," Lysithea hissed. "He knew he had no hope of victory. He didn't need to drag all those people down into the ground with him!"

Dorothea continued to listen to the others, shaken by their ordeal. Killing murderers, thieves and rapists was one thing, but these people had been civilians. It left Dorothea with a foul taste in her mouth as she remembered the woman with the pitchfork crying for her loved ones.

Then she heard a loud shout, this time coming from Prince Dimitri.

"Are you insane?!"

Dorothea whipped around to see Dimitri was yelling at Byleth, and a look of alarm went across the singer's face as Dimitri grabbed Byleth by the shoulders.

"Those weren't knights or soldiers, but fathers and sons, mothers and daughters!" Dimitri continued angrily. "We… we shouldn't have killed them. We should have found another way…"

"And how would you have stopped them if not through force, Dimitri?" said Edelgard, placing herself before Byleth and the prince and gently pushing Dimitri away from the Professor. "If we had done nothing, Lonato and his army would have ravaged every village in their path on their way to Garreg Mach. Would you have let them slaughter more innocents just to take some moral high ground?"

"Edie…!" Dorothea said, shocked at the princess' insensitivity.

The singer half-expected Dimitri to lash out at Edelgard, but to her surprise, his anger began to subside.

"I… I'm sorry," said Dimitri. "It's not fair for me to blame another for the circumstance. I know that if we hadn't… done what we did, even more civilian lives would have been lost. At least, my mind understands that. But… my heart…"

"I understand, Dimitri," said Byleth.

"Those in power, no matter the era, always claim they fight for a just cause. That they take life to protect it. But… Is it truly okay to take any life you please, all in service of some implacable 'just cause'? Lord Lonato didn't take up arms out of a lust for power. He simply believed his cause to be just. Who's to say it wasn't? Maybe we didn't have to cut him down like that. Maybe we could have reached a mutual understanding… found a path of peace. I… I have to believe that."

"A noble ideal, Dimitri," said Edelgard. "But I, for one, could not have allowed him to continue. No matter how he or his people saw it, his ideals of justice were unreasonable. And it is our duty to strike down those who would cling to such unreasonable ideals of justice. Even if our enemies are the gods themselves… we must never lose sight of our goal."

Dimitri, Byleth and Dorothea looked at Edelgard in shock. What the princess had said bordered on heresy.

"That's taking it a little far, Edie," said Dorothea.

"Perhaps, but really, I'm just like Lonato. I, too, will be the sort of ruler who's willing to risk the lives of my citizens in service of a higher cause. It's not possible to change the world without sacrifice. Dying for the greater good is not a death in vain."

"How can you be so callous about other people's lives, Edelgard?!" Dimitri snapped.

"I must look at things in a realistic light, Dimitri. Believe me, if it were within my power, I would fight for a higher cause with my own two hands and no one else's. But I cannot. No one commands that much power. Not you, nor the Professor, nor I."

Dimitri was at a loss for words.

"You could have a little more sympathy for these people, Edie," said Dorothea.

"Dorothea?" asked Edelgard.

"No matter who's right and who's wrong, people end up dead because those in power can't agree to anything. And when it's the innocent who get caught up in it… There's nothing 'just' about any of it. There's no cause worth fighting for if it means innocent blood must be spilled to see it through. And the ones who drag those innocents into the fighting for their 'just cause'? They're the worst! Why can't they fight their own battles and leave the rest of us out of it?!"

"Dorothea…" said Byleth.

"I hope you'll never have to fight for some higher cause, Edie. Because if you or Dimitri or anyone else had to send innocent people to the slaughter to achieve it, I would have no part in it. I'm sorry, but I just wouldn't be able to bring myself to do it."

Dorothea's words left everyone around her silent. For a moment, Dorothea thought Edelgard was going to be angry with her, or at least disappointed.

To her surprise, Edelgard said, "I would never make you do such a thing, Dorothea."

"Edie…?"

"You are my friend, not my vassal, nor my servant. If you did not wish to fight for me because of your conscience, I would not force you."

Dorothea's eyes watered a bit upon hearing this. With a sniffle, she asked, "D-Does that go for the rest of us?"

Edelgard did not answer to this, but simply smiled. It was enough for Dorothea.

"I owe you an apology, Edelgard," said Dimitri. "I should not have judged you so harshly."

"Think nothing of it, Dimitri," said Edelgard. "This has been a… trying day for all of us."

"Well, most of us, at least," Dorothea quipped as she gestured toward Claude, who seemed far less shaken than the others and was busily chatting with Hilda. It seemed he was more interested in Thunderbrand than on such a moral debate.

"How does he do it?" asked Dimitri.

"I doubt asking him would get you a straight answer," said Dorothea.

"I'll have a word with him," said Byleth.

"I'm afraid that'll have to wait, Professor Eisner," said Catherine as she strode up to the group. "I fear this incident is far more serious than anticipated."

Catherine raised up a letter in her hand, which bore an unmarked wax seal.

"What is this?" asked Byleth as she took the letter and opened it.

"I found it on Lord Lonato. It mentions a plan to assassinate Lady Rhea."

"What?" gasped Dorothea. "Are you serious?"

"We can't tell who sent it, so the source is suspect, but the content is too disturbing to ignore. We must report this to Lady Rhea right away. I hope that it's nothing…"

"I hope so too, Catherine," said Dimitri.

As Byleth handed the letter back to Catherine, the swordswoman said, "Round up the students. We need to get back to the monastery as soon as possible."

Nodding, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Byleth all dispersed to rally the others. But Dorothea remained where she was as a thought crossed her mind.

"Hey, Catherine?" she asked. "Can I see that letter?"

"Huh? Sorry, but I need to hold onto it for evidence."

"I'm not asking to hold it. I just want to see what's written on it."

"I'm afraid even that's out of the question… Sorry, I didn't quite get your name."

"It's Dorothea."

"Oh, right, the opera girl. Sorry, but I can't let a student–"

"It's just…" Dorothea interrupted. "Why would Lonato be carrying that on him? Doesn't it seem a little strange? If I were him, I'd have burned the thing immediately after reading it. Why carry it if there was a chance that someone could find it?"

This ended up catching Catherine's attention.

"You think it's a hoax, do you?" asked Catherine. "Regardless if it's real or not, we have to treat it as a serious threat. Hopefully, it'll just be that: a hoax. But if not…"

Realizing Catherine had every right to worry, Dorothea simply nodded and decided to end the conversation there. She turned away and went off to help Byleth round up the others for their trip back to Garreg Mach.

* * *

_I'm sure I've messed something up; this part was not easy to write. Trying to get Edelgard's lines to work in contrast to Dimitri's was tough. And then having Dorothea give her view of the situation from the perspective of being a commoner was another challenge; I'm sure I've been heavy-handed again._


	12. Cooking Catastrophes (Blue Sea Moon)

_And now for some slice-of-life filler. But seriously, why do I only have a few reviews so far? You guys should have some time on your hands to write one._

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Cooking Catastrophes (Blue Sea Moon)**

Dorothea groaned loudly as she stood before the entrance to the kitchens. Surely it was a mistake that she had been assigned to help prepare today's meal. The instructions she held in her hand were far beyond her skill, but she knew if she tried to duck out of her task that she would receive a huge scolding and probably even worse duties from Seteth.

It was at this moment that she turned and saw, she hoped, her salvation.

"Oh, Professor Byleth?" Dorothea shouted, catching Byleth's attention.

"Dorothea? Is there something you needed?" Byleth asked as she walked over to the diva.

"Yes, there is. You see, I've been assigned cooking duty today, but… well, I can cook, but not anything you'd call 'cuisine'. And this meal I've been told to make is far beyond my skill. Could you, maybe, help me out with it? Pretty please?"

"I suppose I could."

"Really? That's great! Oh, you're a lifesaver! Come on!"

The two went into the kitchen after this, and quickly they were met by an overwhelming array of aromas and scents. Spices of all kinds could be seen lining crammed shelves, over a dozen wood stoves filled the room with smoke that, thankfully, was vented out of a wide chimney, and the voices of servants and staff created a cacophony of sound. It was little short of utter chaos.

One of the staff walked up to Dorothea and said, "Finally, you're here. Your station's over there, you already know what you're making. Now get to it!"

"W-Wait! Hold on a–" Dorothea's attempts to slow the staff member down were in vain as the woman walked off to handle her duties.

"I see why you wanted my help," said Byleth as she put on a dirty apron.

"Yeah, that's just one part of it." Dorothea then put on her own apron and, with a sound of disgust, said, "Yuck, these things are so drab."

"So, what is it we're making?"

"It says 'Sacred Beast Roast'. Looks really complicated."

The two went to their station to find a plethora of ingredients in place, all ready to be used in the preparation of their assigned meal. A large slab of Albinean Moose meat was in place, meant to be the main element of the food.

"Umm, I'm not really good with chopping up raw meat," said Dorothea. "Could you do that part?"

Byleth nodded and got started with a large, poorly maintained cutting knife. Meanwhile, Dorothea did her best with a group of vegetables, but her cuts were clumsy and resulted in chunks far too large for what was expected.

"Ow, dammit!" Dorothea hissed as she made a poor cut into a ripe onion, earning a spray of its juice to her face. She recoiled at the stench, which caused her eyes to water and led her to dropping the onion on the floor.

With a small frown, Byleth said, "Maybe you should let me do that too."

Sniffing from the onion, Dorothea said, "T-That'd be great. I'll get the spices then."

As Byleth took over with chopping the vegetables, Dorothea stumbled over to the nearby spice rack. Immediately she was at a loss for which spices she needed. They all looked the same, and the labels were hard to make out due to stains or faded lettering. Her blurry vision from the onion didn't help things.

Deciding just to try her luck, Dorothea grabbed some random herbs from the spice rack and brought them over to their station.

"Did you get the right ones?" asked Byleth.

"I… hope so…" Dorothea said uneasily. "Only one way to find out."

With that, Dorothea began to add the spices to a boiling pot over a stove. The spices were to be mixed together and used as a marinade, but Dorothea was clueless as to how much of each was needed. The instructions hadn't been all that clear.

Then, just as Dorothea was about to add a bushel of gray powder to the pot, Byleth saw her and, her eyes widening, shouted, "Wait! Don't add that!"

But it was too late. Dorothea had already dropped the gray powder into the boiling pot. To her shock, the pot began to bubble wildly. She then realized her error: she must have picked up an herb that was typically used to make smoke bombs.

Dorothea let out a scream as the pot spewed out a humungous cloud of black smoke, one that quickly caused the kitchens to be vacated, everyone coughing loudly on the fumes as they fled.

…

"Professor Byleth, I am SO sorry!" said Dorothea, her face red with shame. "I knew something like this would happen and yet I–"

"We all make mistakes," said Byleth, giving off a short cough.

With a loud groan, Dorothea said, "It's just like everyone keeps telling me: I'm a disaster in the kitchen. Anything simpler than a sandwich and I run the risk of setting things on fire."

"Dorothea, it's okay. You just need some practice, that's all."

"Oh, that won't help! I've had friends back in Enbarr who tried to teach me how to cook, and I either end up making people sick or… you get the idea."

"Why are you so reluctant to learn about cooking?"

"Huh? That came out of nowhere." With a sigh, Dorothea said, "You see, I just think it's all the same once it's in your stomach, so why overdo it with the cooking, right? Learning to make it all fancy just seems unnecessary to me."

"You shouldn't think of it that way. It really isn't all the same once it's in there."

"Really?"

"For example, say that you were to have two different herbs that, individually, were harmless, but when mixed together they become poisonous once ingested unless you prepare them properly. What would happen if you made a meal with those two herbs together?"

Eyes widening, Dorothea said, "I see your point." Then, her expression once again turning somber, she said, "Oh, I'm such an idiot."

"At least you aren't as bad as Hanneman," said a familiar sultry voice.

Dorothea and Byleth turned to see Manuela sauntering toward them, dressed in her usual revealing attire.

"That man can't even make a sandwich right," Manuela quipped.

"Oh, Manuela!" Dorothea said with some dismay. "Y-You overheard all that?"

"Dorothea, dearie, learning to cook is one of those things where you're bound to make mistakes. You learn from them and do better each time. It's just as Professor Byleth said: you just need some proper practice."

Dorothea said nothing to this, her face still blushing with shame.

Turning to Byleth, Manuela asked, "Tell me, what was Dorothea supposed to be making?"

"A Sacred Beast Roast," Byleth answered.

"Really? Now I see why you were having trouble. That one's tough to make if you don't know your stuff. I tell you what, Dorothea: I'll show you how a pro does it."

With that, Manuela strutted her way toward the kitchen, gesturing for Dorothea and Byleth to follow.

Minutes later, the two were astonished at what they saw. Manuela was a true expert in the culinary arts, dicing through vegetables rapidly and sorting through the spices as if it were second nature. Byleth noted that Manuela didn't seem to be going straight off the recipe but was making subtle changes here and there that showed her expertise. In the meantime, Manuela had the two helping her with the cleanup, a cooking task not even Dorothea could get wrong.

After a good half-hour, Manuela had produced a large platter of meat that glistened from herbs and spices, with a good amount of neatly chopped vegetables on the side.

"W-Wow…" Dorothea gasped. "You haven't lost your touch, Manuela."

With a smile and a wink, Manuela said, "It comes from years of practice. Go on, give it a try."

Gingerly, Dorothea brought a fork down to skewer a small cut of the meat and bit down on it. Her reaction was instantaneous.

"Mmm!" With the meat still in her mouth, she said, "Manuela, dish ish reawee–" Realizing her bad table manners, Dorothea took a moment to swallow before saying, "This is really good!"

"I agree," said Byleth after swallowing her own piece. "Job well done, Professor Manuela."

"Oh, it was nothing," said Manuela. "I couldn't leave my little protégé in need, now could I?"

"I have to ask: do you two have some history?"

"Oh, of course we do, Professor. Dorothea and I both were part of the Mittelfrank Opera, after all."

"Manuela's the one who found me on the streets of Enbarr," said Dorothea. "She heard me singing one day and, next thing I knew, I was suddenly a star."

"Ahh, I remember it like it was yesterday. Must have been nine years ago now. And look how far you've come since then, Dorothea. Really, I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Manuela. If only I could've improved my cooking skills along the way…"

"One step at a time, dearie. You should have seen some of the mistakes I made when I was younger. You just need a good teacher."

"Well, would you be willing to teach me again, like old times?"

"Hmm, I suppose I could, but it would be tricky to fit it into my schedule."

Byleth then chose this moment to ask, "Are there any others here at the monastery who know how to cook?"

"Others?" Manuela seemed offended at this point. "Don't tell me you doubt my skill as a chef!"

"Not at all. But as you said, you have a busy schedule, so it would be helpful if we knew of others who could offer advice. Preferably, it'd be good if some of the other students could help."

"Ah, I see. Well, you're in luck. It just so happens that several of my Blue Lions know their fair share of the culinary arts. Mercedes is a marvel at making sweets, while Dedue's actually a lot better than you'd think of his demeanor. I'd never had Duscur cuisine before he offered to cook and, let me tell you, his food is delicious."

"Dedue?" asked Dorothea. "Who would've thought? Anyone else?"

"Well, there is Ashe. He used to work at a restaurant, so he knows a lot, but…"

Dorothea and Byleth could only nod affirmatively at this. They knew Ashe was still mourning Lonato's death.

"I'm sure he'll pull through," continued Manuela. "Kid's tougher than he thinks he is."

"And he has friends he can turn to," said Byleth. Turning to Dorothea, she added, "Just like you do. If you need any help with things like this, just ask them. I'm sure they'd be happy to help."

"As would we. We'll get you to be such a good cook, people will be eating out of the palm of your hand."

Dorothea couldn't help but smile and nod at this.

* * *

_This might seem a little pointless, but I'm having chapters like this one to give Byleth and Dorothea extra chances to bond. And yes, canonically Manuela is the one who brought Dorothea into the Mittelfrank Opera Company; her A-Support with Ferdinand in the Japanese dub explicitly states this._


	13. The Bee, The Mouse, and The Rose

_More Support conversations. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 13 – The Bee, The Mouse, and The Rose (Blue Sea Moon)**

Dorothea smiled as she finished the last bite of her Vegetable Pasta Salad. It had been a long day of studying, but she had also spent a good amount of the day asking around about places at the monastery that could be raided on the day of the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth. Byleth had been quick to catch on that the letter found on Lord Lonato was probably a distraction, and that Rhea was not the actual target. As such, she had assigned the Black Eagles to ask around the monastery and look for clues, though Dorothea didn't really know what to look for.

She got to her feet and began to stretch her arms over her head, puffing out her bountiful chest, when a familiar voice soured her mood.

"Ah, Dorothea!" said Ferdinand. "The dining hall seems so much brighter with you here."

Dorothea had half a mind to tell the orange-haired noble to buzz off. She had never liked Ferdinand for always being obsessed with his noble standing, and assumed his niceties were a farce. She'd had plenty of other nobles in her past doing the same as him, acting generous and kind on the surface but looking down on her when they thought she was out of earshot.

But numerous other students were around, and she had a public image to preserve.

"Ferdie," said Dorothea, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I must say, you are quite adept with flattery. Please, give me some more."

Ferdinand was confused for a moment as he said, "Flattery? No, I was not…" Realizing Dorothea's sarcasm, Ferdinand sighed and asked, "There you go again with that attitude. Why do you reserve such cold treatment for me, and me alone? Do you hate me, Dorothea? Or have you some other reason to avoid my company?"

Ahh, he was catching on, Dorothea thought. He wasn't as dumb as she thought.

"I underestimated you," said Dorothea, again with her teasing tone. "I assumed your noble upbringing had dulled your perception." Then, in a tone that was far more serious, she added, "But you got it right on your first try. I hate you."

'Hate' might have been putting it strongly, but Dorothea always tended to be blunt with things like this, and she wanted to make it clear that she did not like him.

"Huh. I was right. Might I ask why you find me so despicable? I can scarcely guess."

"Don't waste another minute thinking about it."

"That will not do. I do not think you would hate a person for no reason."

Oh, she had a good reason, Dorothea thought. But she wasn't about to share her reason with him.

"Hm, perhaps…" Then, deciding to mess with him, Dorothea said, "How's this? If you can guess why, I'll let you know if you're right." Sarcastically, she added, "The brains of us commonfolk are so simple, it should be pretty easy for a big-shot noble to sort out."

She knew this would work. Ferdinand was nothing if not predictable when challenged.

Sighing, Ferdinand said, "Very well. I cannot walk away from a challenge. I have no choice but to chance a guess." Giving his head a brief scratch, he said, "You are always making fun, calling me a 'big shot' and so forth. Perhaps you think all nobles are… No, it could not be that simple."

"Oh? What can't be that simple?"

The look on Ferdinand's face said it all to Dorothea. He was completely stumped. Good, she wanted that.

"Um, please. Will you not give me a clue?" asked Ferdinand.

Dorothea almost snickered at this. He was making it too easy.

Playfully, Dorothea said, "Well, let me see. A good clue…"

Dorothea took a moment to think on it. It had to be something he'd never be able to work with, but it couldn't be a lie. Where would the fun in that be? It took mere seconds for her to come up with something.

"I know! It's because you're like a bee."

Ferdinand's expression delighted Dorothea, as she thought he couldn't have looked any more confused. She knew he would be agonizing over it for weeks.

"That oughta be enough of a clue." Spinning on her high-heeled boots, Dorothea sauntered away as she said, "So long, Ferdie~"

"A bee?" Ferdinand said to himself in confusion. "I haven't the slightest… Perhaps because I am such a diligent worker? Or maybe it's…"

Dorothea did not bother listening to him any longer as she walked out of the dining hall and out to the fishing pond. She looked down to see Leonie was in the middle of snagging a large Bullhead while Flayn watched excitedly. The green-haired girl didn't have the upper body strength to catch such large fish on her own, so Leonie often found herself catching things for her in exchange for small rewards, though Dorothea suspected it was more to avoid earning Seteth's ire. The archbishop's advisor was fiercely protective of his little sister.

Fishing didn't interest Dorothea, so instead she made her way down toward the greenhouse. It was just the place to get away from Ferdinand. Dorothea smiled as she thought back to a few days prior when Annette had run out of the greenhouse after calling Felix evil. It was an apt description.

…

"Ah, it's peaceful in here," Bernadetta said to herself as she stared at the flowers in the greenhouse. "Flowers are so calming. Just looking at these, it's like all the terrible parts of the day just disappear. If only people could be more like flowers…"

It was at this moment that Dorothea made her way into the greenhouse. The sight of the meek purple-haired girl was a surprise to her.

"What's Bern doing?" Dorothea whispered to herself, not wanting to spook her. Looking more closely, Dorothea could see Bernadetta's expression was one of discomfort as she mumbled something to herself that the singer couldn't make out.

Then, a little more audibly, Bernadetta moaned to herself, "There's no way someone like me could ever be close with someone like that."

This made Dorothea's eyes widen and a smile come across her face. Was Bernadetta crushing on someone?

Deciding she had to ask, Dorothea said, "Bern, are you okay?"

The sound of her voice made Bernadetta let out a loud squeak.

"Ah! Dorothea! Did you hear all that?" Bernadetta asked in her usual panic.

"Just the part about you wishing you could get along with someone." Excitedly, Dorothea asked, "So, Bern, who've you got a crush on? Seriously now, you have to tell me. Who are they? Do I know them? Oh, I'm so excited for you, Bern!"

Reeling from Dorothea's enthusiasm, Bernadetta said, "Um, n-no. I was… actually thinking about… being friends with you."

This almost made Dorothea's enthusiastic smile vanish in confusion. This wasn't at all what she had expected.

"Me?" she asked. "I thought we already were friends."

"That's n-not what I mean," said Bernadetta. Then, her eyes shutting in fear, she said, "Oh, I'm such a coward!" Managing to keep herself from having a panic attack, Bernadetta added, "I thought it would be great if we could be closer. But old memories just get in the way for me."

Oh, that's what this was about. Dorothea didn't know much, if anything, about Bernadetta's history, simply because the girl refused to talk about it. It must not have been pleasant, Dorothea thought.

With a warm smile, Dorothea said, "Bern, whatever happened in the past, you know you have my full support. I'm here for you. I thought we'd already been friends for a long time now." Dorothea then extended her hand toward Bernadetta and said, "Please… tell me about it."

Bernadetta jolted back at this, and Dorothea quickly realized her error.

"Just forget it!" Bernadetta yelped. "We'll never be close friends!"

Then, Bernadetta's eyes widened and her expression turned to one of pure horror. It wasn't like her usual panicky moments; this was something else. Something that left Dorothea afraid for the girl's well-being.

"Father would just… He would just…!"

Before she even finished, Bernadetta ran.

"AAAAAAAAHH! NOOOOOO!"

Dorothea gasped loudly as Bernadetta darted past her, almost a blur of black and purple. The diva was amazed that Bernadetta could move so quickly.

"W-Wait! I…"

By the time Dorothea had spun around, Bernadetta was already gone, likely back to her room.

To no one in particular, Dorothea asked, "Father? What did she mean by that?"

* * *

_You just wanna hug that Bernie-Bear, don't you?_


	14. Strange Merchandise

_Hope everyone's doing alright with quarantine._

_And now time for more of our Secret Seller._

* * *

**Chapter 14 – Strange Merchandise (Blue Sea Moon)**

Anna smiled as she slipped a handful of coins into a small bag, having just made another successful sale. She always loved making a profit, and this had been an especially big one. Ever since she had set up shop in Garreg Mach she had seen quite a bit of business, part of which was owed to her connection with the academy's rising Professor. Byleth's success was translating to Anna's own success, it seemed.

That said, Byleth had been seeing her more than a few times this month, asking for information. It seemed someone was looking to break into the monastery while everyone else was worried about an imaginary assassination attempt on the archbishop. As much as Anna wanted to help, she knew little more than anyone else did on the subject, but she had agreed to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

Perhaps she'd need to ask someone from Abyss…

The bell attached to her door jingled again as a new customer came into the shop. Anna looked up to see a familiar brown-haired singer entering the store.

"Oh, hey, Dorothea!" said Anna. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey there, Anna," Dorothea answered. "I was hoping I could get your advice, or rather a recommendation."

"A recommendation? On what, may I ask?"

"Well, I heard recently that Professor Byleth's birthday is coming up soon, on the 26th. Strange, really – that's the same day as the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth."

"And you wanted to ask me what to get her, right?"

"Exactly! I might be learning from her, but I don't have the faintest idea what to get her. Or at least, anything I could afford."

"Oh. Something affordable, is it? Not enough allowance from your house in the academy?"

"No, none. I don't really have any money for this sort of thing. I don't come from a rich family, and when I left the opera company to attend here, I only got in by doing… favors."

"I see…" Sensing that Dorothea was uncomfortable talking about it, Anna said, "Well, let's see if we can't find something for By, alright? Follow me."

Anna then strode over to the back of her shop and opened the door to her storage room. Dorothea followed, and was met by the sight of an absolute mess. Various curios and trinkets were scattered across numerous shelves, with quite a lot of clutter on the floor.

"Watch your step, please," said Anna. "I really need to get around to cleaning this up."

"No kidding," said Dorothea.

For the next minute, Anna continued to browse through the shelves. Each one teemed with items that many would consider junk, something which didn't give Dorothea much encouragement. She hoped she wouldn't be forced to buy something that was already broken.

Then, as Anna chucked a broken whetstone aside, Dorothea asked, "Hey, Anna, can I ask you something? How long have you known Professor Byleth?"

"By? Oh, I've known her ever since she was a kid. Probably ten years by now. The thing is, we'd only see each other occasionally, usually when I had business with Jeralt."

"I see. Well, how much do you know about her?"

"There's not much to say, honestly. She's kind of an oddball if you think about it. Never gets mad, doesn't laugh at jokes, never cries, etcetera. Come to think of it, I don't think I've even seen her smile more than a couple of times by now."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she's kinda like a mannequin sometimes. Haven't met anyone else quite like her. Not to mention her awful fashion sense." Anna snickered at this, prompting Dorothea to giggle as well. "I mean, I picked those stockings out for her when she was younger and they worked at the time, but the way she wears them now, you'd think she came out of a brothel."

Dorothea laughed at this. "I'll do my best not to tell her you said that."

Anna then looked over at some more of her merchandise and said, "Hmm, no, that'd be no good. Maybe… nah, she'd never use it."

"You've got an awful lot of stuff here," said Dorothea. "I don't even know where you'd get half of this."

"Well, you can't actually find a lot of these things in Fódlan. You'd have to go outside the borders for some of it."

"So, you've been outside of Fódlan?"

"Plenty of times. You should see the kinds of stuff they sell in Valentia."

"I've never heard of Valentia."

"It's way to the west, across the Great Sea. Nice place, though it gets really cold in the northern parts."

"You must be well-travelled. I don't suppose you'd be willing to share some of your stories."

"Ah-ah-ah, not so fast. I'm not called the Secret Seller for nothing. If I were to tell you any more about my past, you'd have to tell me a lot of yours."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"Don't worry about it. I'm not saying I'll never tell you that sort of stuff, but trust is a two-way street, you know. Maybe once we've done some more business, I'd be more inclined to share my history."

"You mean once I've bought more of your stuff."

"Precisely!"

Dorothea couldn't help but sigh at this. She knew Anna would turn this into some kind of money grab.

Then, Anna's eyes lit up as she saw something among her piles of curiosities.

"Aha! This'll do great!"

Reaching over, Anna caused a few other cheap trinkets to fall to the floor as she grabbed something. Pulling it out, Anna turned to Dorothea and presented what looked like a large circular locket. Dorothea could hear a very faint ticking sound coming from it.

"What's that?" the singer asked.

"It's a pocket watch. Handy little thing I got in Ylisse. It helps you tell the time of day."

Anna then opened the locket, revealing a trio of clock hands moving to a set of gears within the watch. Dorothea had never seen such a device before; it wasn't exactly something one would find in Fódlan.

"The little hand tells you the hour, while the big one is for minutes. The thin one is in seconds," Anna explained. "Needs to be adjusted, though; it's not running on Fódlan time."

"Um, what?" Dorothea asked in confusion.

"Just gimme a second…"

With that, Anna placed both hands around the locket and her hands began to glow, channeling her magic into the watch. Dorothea watched as the device's hands began to turn, shifting to a new orientation as its gears whirred and clicked. As Anna finished, the watch showed a new time.

"There we go," said Anna. "Huh, it's later than I thought. Almost closing time." Then, handing the watch to Dorothea, she said, "I'm sure By will find a use for this. It runs on Mana, so she won't need to worry about it running out of energy."

"Thank you so much, Anna!" said Dorothea as she took the watch.

Then, as Dorothea spun on her heel and began to head for the entrance to Anna's shop, she stopped abruptly when Anna made a loud "Ahem!"

Realizing her mistake, Dorothea turned around as Anna put her hands on her hips and said, "You ARE paying for that, right? It's not for free!"

"R-Right…" Dorothea answered sheepishly.

Dorothea reached for her waist and pulled out her coin purse, giving several gold pieces to Anna for the purchase.

Happily taking the gold, Anna said, "Thanks a bunch!" Then, as she rubbed the coins together in her palm, Anna said, "Oh, by the way, By was having me ask around about anything suspicious in the market."

"Really? She asked for your help with the search?"

"I'm happy to offer my services to a friend. Unfortunately, I wish I had something new to tell her. I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Well, at least for this place."

"I see. We've only got a few more days until the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth and we're still not completely sure where to look."

"Well, hypothetically speaking, if I were the one trying to break into some place in the monastery on the day of the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth, there'd have to be a reason for it to be on that day. From what I know, there's one place in the monastery that only opens up on that day."

Dorothea knew what Anna was referring to: The Holy Mausoleum. It was supposedly the tomb of Saint Seiros herself, but her casket had been sealed by a powerful enchantment. Even on the day of the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth, few would make any sort of pilgrimage to enter it. And due to the threat on Rhea's life, it was unlikely to be under heavy watch during the rite.

"Of course, that's all just speculation," Anna added. "Could be another red herring, if you know what I mean. Anyhow, feel free to tell her what I told you about it, though I'm sure she's already thought of it by now."

"Thanks, Anna. And thanks for helping me with her gift!"

"No problem! Come back soon!"

With that, Dorothea made her way out of Anna's shop, leaving the redhead to continue counting her day's profits.

* * *

_It's not so outlandish to have a mechanical/magical pocket watch in Fodlan, is it?_


	15. Coffin Duty

_Back for more? So am I._

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Coffin Duty (Blue Sea Moon)**

The 26th of the Blue Sea Moon arrived faster than the Black Eagles had thought. It was finally the day of the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth and, they hoped, the time had come to catch whoever it was threatening the monastery. An extensive search by the many students had led to the conclusion that whoever had made the false assassination letter was likely targeting the Holy Mausoleum, the burial tomb of Saint Seiros. The Knights had left it lightly guarded, as they had been diverted to protect Archbishop Rhea from the assumed attempt on her life.

Unfortunately, the Black Eagles were to be shorthanded in the Holy Mausoleum. Edelgard and Hubert had been recalled to Enbarr on important business, while Linhardt and Ferdinand had to remain in other parts of the monastery in case their hunch turned out to be wrong. That left only Dorothea, Bernadetta, Caspar, and Petra to join Byleth.

It was to Byleth's surprise, then, that as she and the others entered the cathedral that they were met by Dimitri and Claude. They were accompanied by Felix, Annette, Dedue, Leonie, Hilda and Marianne.

"Teach, figured we'd find you here," said Claude.

"Claude, Dimitri, what are you doing here?" asked Byleth. "Weren't you supposed to be guarding the perimeter?"

"Judging by the group you have with you, Professor, it seems you are of the same mind as us," answered Dimitri. "You believe that whoever wrote the letter that Lord Lonato was carrying is after something in the Holy Mausoleum. Am I correct?"

"Yes, you would be. However, you were all given your assigned duties to patrol the monastery grounds. Did you clear this with Professor Manuela and Professor Hanneman?"

"You needn't worry about the perimeter, Professor. Ingrid, Sylvain, Mercedes and Ashe all have that covered."

"Same with Lorenz, Lysithea, Raphael and Ignatz," said Claude. "Dimitri and I talked it over a few days ago. Don't worry about–"

"You didn't answer my question," Byleth interrupted. "Do Hanneman and Manuela know about this?"

"Not… quite…" Claude answered sheepishly.

"Claude!" Dimitri said in a scolding tone. "I thought you were going to tell them!"

"Hey, do you think they would've let us if I had?" Claude said with a shrug. "Persuasive as I can be, I don't think anyone would've been able to convince them to let us go off on what could very well be a wild goose chase."

Taking this moment to break up the boys' argument, Dorothea said sweetly, "Well, then it's a good thing for you two that Professor Byleth is here to supervise this 'wild goose chase'." Turning back to Byleth, Dorothea added, "Am I right?"

Byleth could only nod with a sigh.

"Oh, I hope we don't actually run into any trouble," said Hilda. "I'd like for this all to be one big hoax and for nothing bad to actually happen today."

"Well, I'm up for some action!" said Caspar. "Come on, guys, let's go already!"

"Go where, exactly?" said a stern voice that turned everyone's heads.

To their dismay, Seteth was heading right for them with Flayn in tow.

"You all seem a mite too relaxed for my liking," Seteth added. "The Goddess's Rite of Rebirth is about to begin. Professor Eisner, while we are in the Goddess Tower, we are relying on you to secure the locations that are lacking in defense. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do, Seteth," answered Byleth.

"Do you? Then why is it so many students from all three houses are gathered here, in the cathedral, rather than being out on patrol?"

Byleth hesitated to answer. She had to be careful with her words or Seteth could ruin the whole investigation. She had already tried getting permission to investigate the Holy Mausoleum from him, but he had been adamant about their orders.

Before she could think of something, however, Flayn said, "May I let you in on something, Professor? My brother can be a bit… callous. He told me that he was concerned about you and hinted that perhaps you would be better off patrolling a coffin!"

Dorothea had to restrain herself from snickering at this, especially when a flustered Seteth said, "That was said in jest, Flayn. And in confidence. Please just remain by my side and do not cause any more trouble." Recomposing himself, he turned back to Byleth and said, "As a Professor, you would do well to remember that it is your duty to guide your students down the path of righteousness."

"Of course," Byleth answered curtly.

"Please excuse us, everyone," said Flayn. "We shall see you again after the ceremony has concluded!"

Seteth and Flayn then took their leave, much to the students' relief.

Sighing thankfully, Dorothea said, "I'll need to remember to thank Flayn for that save. Well then, shall we, everyone?"

"Come on, everyone," said Claude. "Time to get things underway."

"Hopefully this will all be for naught," added Dimitri. "But be ready in case we run into trouble."

Everyone nodded to this and began to follow the two leaders. However, Dorothea stopped after a few paces and turned to Byleth as she said, "Oh, shoot!"

"What is it?" asked Byleth.

"Today's also your birthday and I forgot to bring the gift I bought for you! Oh, and it's too late for me to go back and get it from my room."

"There will be time for that later. Let's just focus on the task at hand."

"I know, I know. But hey, isn't it strange that your birthday is on the same day as the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth? I know it's just a coincidence, but–"

"Hey, Teach, aren't you coming?" interrupted Claude.

"Sorry!" Dorothea shouted back to Claude. "We'll be right there."

The two women made their way toward the others, catching up as they reached the entrance to the Holy Mausoleum. A winding staircase led deep inside the cathedral, with only a few lit torches providing any illumination.

This, of course, made it almost too much for Bernadetta to handle.

"Oh, I dunno about this…" Bernadetta whimpered. "What if whoever's down there is waiting to ambush us? We'd be doomed for sure!"

"Calm down, Bernadetta," said Annette. "Professor Byleth will be with us."

This didn't seem to assuage Bernadetta's fears, and she continued trembling as she followed behind the others into the darkness.

…

It was once they reached the Holy Mausoleum itself that Bernadetta truly lost her nerve. The crypt was indeed filled with people, several wearing mage robes while others sported the uniforms and weapons of the Western Church. They were being led by a mage in black wearing a crow's mask, who stood next to the sarcophagus of Saint Seiros.

"AHH! Enemies! They're here! I knew it! Someone HELP MEEEE!"

Bernadetta sprinted off like a rabbit back up the stairs before anyone could try to stop her.

"Bern, wait!" Dorothea shouted, but the purple-haired girl was long gone by then.

"Stay focused, everyone," said Byleth. "Bernadetta will warn the Knights."

Across from them, the dark mage hissed and said, "Those Central Church dastards have spotted us…" Turning to his subordinates, he ordered, "By me some time while I open the seal on the casket!"

"I'm on it," said one of the soldiers, readying his blade.

Byleth drew her own sword at this time. Unfortunately, since she had broken her old one at Magdred Way, she had been forced to take a low-quality iron sword instead. It wasn't nearly as strong as her old steel blade, but it would have to do.

"Alright, guys, let's get in there and take them down!" shouted Caspar as he readied his axe.

Caspar immediately rushed out to attack, prompting Petra to shout, "Caspar, do not be rushing ahead!"

Caspar ignored this as one of the Western Church soldiers thrust his lance at him. With a smirk, Caspar dodged the clumsy strike and brought his axe down on the soldier's back, downing him with a single blow.

"Haha! You all see that?!" Caspar cheered proudly. "Come on, let's get them!"

He turned back to see the others had dispersed to engage the Western Church intruders, but Annette was looking at him with an expression of fear on her face.

"Huh? Come on, Annette, fight's this way!"

It was at this moment that Leonie then shouted, "Caspar, behind you!"

Caspar gritted his teeth as he spun around, expecting a soldier to be barreling down on him. But upon seeing his opponent, his eyes widened in surprise.

Looming over him was a knight clad in pitch black armor atop an ebony steed, also clad in similarly black barding plate. The knight's armor was an array of wicked spikes that covered him head to toe. His helmet was in the shape of a demonic skull with two long horns and glowing red eyes. In the knight's right hand was a long black scythe that he held like an axe.

For a moment, Caspar was stunned by the sight of his opponent, but he quickly regained his enthusiasm and shouted, "Ha, you look tough! You wanna piece of me?"

Caspar then rushed at the knight, swinging his axe overhead. The knight countered with a masterful slash of his scythe, and Caspar howled in agony as the scythe cleaved straight through his axe and left a large gash across his chest. Caspar was sent flying to the ground, his expression a painful grimace.

Annette's eyes widened with horror.

"CASPAAAAR!"

* * *

_Oh look, they don't have Lysithea with them and it's on Maddening difficulty. That's gonna be a challenge._


	16. A New Sword

_Time for Byleth to get a new sword, and for some alluring clothing damage. :P_

* * *

**Chapter 16 – A New Sword (Blue Sea Moon)**

Byleth took a quick glance around at the students currently engaged in battle with the Western Church soldiers. Dimitri had just impaled an axe fighter on his lance, while Leonie leapt back to dodge a blow before shooting her attacker with an arrow to the gut. Felix had quickly cut through a pair of lance fighters, letting out a scoff at how outclassed they had been.

Meanwhile, Petra deflected two quick strikes from a swordsman before slashing the man's legs, the man's howl of pain cut off when Petra sliced through his throat afterward. Petra barely had a moment to breathe before a Wind spell from a Western Church mage narrowly missed her, and Petra yelped in both surprise and embarrassment as her shirt was torn by the spell. Though unharmed, she was quick to cover her chest—which threatened to burst out of the frayed strands of her damaged shirt—before an arrow from Claude struck down her attacker. Claude gave her a wink and a grin, to which Petra blushed deeply.

Then, upon hearing Annette's scream, Byleth turned to see Caspar lying on the ground with a large gash across his chest, his uniform soaked with blood as he groaned in pain. Marianne had already rushed over to try and heal him, or at the very least keep him alive. Byleth turned her attention to the black-armored knight, who was now some distance away from Caspar as he slashed his scythe, sending a splash of blood across the floor of the Holy Mausoleum.

"Death Knight! Prove your strength and scatter these fools!" shouted the dark mage.

"I don't take commands," said the Death Knight. "Or waste my time on weaklings."

In the meantime, Dorothea looked on at Caspar's dilemma and said to no one in particular, "Death Knight? A bit on the nose, don't you think?"

She might have said it jokingly, but she could feel a terrible chill run down her spine as the Death Knight glanced in her direction. He wasn't to be taken lightly.

Unfortunately, Byleth didn't have time to focus on the Death Knight. One of the Western Church soldiers swung his blade at her, forcing Byleth to parry the strike. She then countered with a hard swing, but the swordsman deflected the attack.

The Death Knight then turned back to Caspar, clearly intent on finishing his kill. With a shout, he urged his horse forward and charged at Caspar and Marianne. As he charged, a blast of Wind from Annette struck him, but harmlessly bounced off his black armor. Annette made a loud yelp of shock when her spell had no effect.

"No way!" yelped Annette.

"MARIANNE, LOOK OUT!" shouted Hilda.

Finishing off her opponent, Byleth whipped back around to watch as the Death Knight closed the distance upon Marianne with alarming speed. Byleth knew she would never reach them in time from her position.

"MARYYYYY!" screamed Hilda.

Marianne had just enough time to look up at her attacker before he thrust his scythe at her, the spear-like tip at the top about to impale her through her chest.

The world around them stopped. The look of shock was frozen upon Marianne's face, as was Hilda's expression of terror at seeing her friend's imminent doom.

"Oh dear, that girl was quite the fool, wasn't she?" Sothis said within Byleth's mind. "As was that boy. Let us see if we cannot do something about that, shall we?"

The sands of time turned back. Byleth watched as the Death Knight moved in reverse, with Annette's failed spell shooting back toward her. She watched as the Death Knight retorted to the dark mage that had tried to give him orders.

And then time stopped again.

Byleth was caught off-guard by this. She had wanted to reverse time back to before Caspar had been struck by the Death Knight, but something was stopping her.

"Oh, my friend, you did not think this power was without limits, did you?" said Sothis, as though answering Byleth's thoughts. "I can only send us back so far at any one moment. Perhaps you should have used my power sooner."

Byleth would've cursed at Sothis for this, but the green-haired girl was right. She had waited too long to use the Divine Pulse, and as such had missed her chance to prevent Caspar from being wounded.

But she still had the chance to save Marianne. She would have to make it work.

The sands of time resumed their flow.

"Death Knight! Prove your strength and scatter these fools!" shouted the dark mage.

"I don't take commands," said the Death Knight. "Or waste my time on weaklings."

"Death Knight? A bit on the nose, don't you think?" said Dorothea.

Byleth immediately found herself back to clashing with the sword-wielding soldier, and immediately changed her next move. Rather than try to make a hard strike at him, which would have been deflected, Byleth sprung forward and thrust her blade into the soldier's chest before he could react. She quickly kicked the soldier away and then broke into a run toward Caspar just as the Death Knight's horse reared back and began to gallop toward the wounded boy. Again, Byleth saw Annette's spell strike the Death Knight uselessly.

"No way!" Annette yelped again.

"MARIANNE, LOOK OUT!" shouted Hilda.

Marianne again looked up to see the Death Knight upon her, his scythe's lance about to pierce her breast. Byleth cursed herself. She was still too far away.

"MARYYYYY!" screamed Hilda.

Byleth did the only thing she could think of. She threw her sword at the Death Knight.

The Death Knight sensed the weapon flying at him and swung his scythe around to cleave it out of the air, the poor-quality weapon breaking into pieces. He then centered his red-eyed gaze upon Byleth.

"Like moths to a flame…" said the Death Knight.

Byleth grimaced at this. She only had her dagger left to defend herself, which wasn't going to do anything against the Death Knight. She glanced around at her surroundings, trying to find a suitable weapon she could use. The only things she could see were the crude, poorly crafted weapons of the Western Church soldiers, none which would do her any good against the Death Knight's armor. To her relief, though, the Death Knight was no longer interested in Caspar or Marianne, the latter who was now struggling to pull the boy to safety. She knew Marianne would be able to help him; despite her pessimism, she was very talented in the healing arts.

"So, you are the Ashen Demon…" said the Death Knight as he turned his horse toward Byleth.

Byleth now visibly scowled. The Death Knight knew her mercenary moniker.

"Ashen Demon…?" said Dorothea as she overheard the conversation.

Then, with a shout, the Death Knight charged at Byleth, far faster than she anticipated. Unable to fight back, Byleth dived away as the Death Knight swung his scythe at her, narrowly missing her back and instead slicing through her overcoat. The black fabric fell to the floor as Byleth hissed, and then she yelped as the Death Knight swiftly whirled around and slashed, almost taking off her left arm.

"I'm not impressed," said the Death Knight.

He then made another slash at Byleth, who again avoided it by less than an inch. Her eyes darted from side to side, trying to find something to defend herself with. Several more strikes came at her, each one she avoided, but by less and less distance. A fifth swing from the Death Knight's scythe cut her shirt at her left breast, narrowly avoiding her skin but exposing a tantalizing portion of her ripe chest mound. If Byleth were anyone else, she would've been blushing fiercely.

Evidently, the Death Knight had no interest in her physical beauty, for his onslaught did not slow its pace. He made another swing, and Byleth knew she wasn't going to avoid this one. Acting on a reflex, she extended her arm forward and focused her Mana, casting one of the few spells she currently knew. A wall of magic extended before her to intercept the Death Knight's blow, but it was no match for the knight's scythe, which shattered her barrier in an instant. The force of the blow knocked Byleth off balance, and she was unable to avoid the next strike.

"PROFESSOR!" Dorothea screamed.

The shaft of the Death Knight's scythe slammed into Byleth's exposed navel, knocking the wind out of her as she let out a howl of pain and was sent flying right into Seiros' casket. The dark mage was startled by this, but he had already finished his work on the seal.

"Central Church fools!" said the dark mage. "The seal is already broken! First, I'll kill you, and then– AAAARGH!"

The dark mage let out a loud scream as Dorothea's lightning spell fried him, blasting him away from the casket. Dorothea immediately ran over to Byleth, who groaned loudly as she tried to recover.

"Professor, are you alri-IIEEEE!"

Dorothea shrieked as she narrowly avoided a thrust from the Death Knight, throwing herself on top of Byleth as the scythe smashed into the lid of the casket and broke it open. Byleth's right arm hung back into the casket. Dorothea gasped and panted loudly at having been less than an inch from death, but she knew she wasn't going to be lucky twice.

The Death Knight raised his scythe again, this time to cut through both Dorothea and Byleth. On the sides, Dimitri, Claude and the others, who had almost finished up with the other soldiers, watched in horror as the Death Knight made his swing.

And then everything went silent as Byleth whipped her right arm out of Seiros' casket, holding a glowing red sword, and blocked the Death Knight's strike, the scythe blade almost touching Dorothea's back.

Dorothea shook in terror. For a moment, she thought she was already dead. But then she turned her gaze and saw the glow of red, and then she saw the sword that Byleth held.

Everyone in the Holy Mausoleum was awestruck. Even the Death Knight had paused upon seeing this new weapon.

"That sword is… I see…" said the Death Knight.

Before anyone else could react, Byleth let out a shout and, despite her lack of leverage, slashed with her new blade, forcing the Death Knight back. The dark rider's horse moved as though a part of his body, leaping back as Byleth regained her footing. At the same time, Dorothea's legs gave out beneath her from fear as she fell to the ground on her hip.

The Death Knight renewed his attack, charging at Byleth and readying another slash. Byleth's body began to glow a green light, and the symbol of her Crest shone above her. But now, it looked far different, far more complete. It was a symbol no one in the chamber besides the Death Knight recognized.

The sword in Byleth's hand split its blade into multiple small fragments, all bound together by a single link. It was as though the sword had become a whip, and Byleth shouted as she swung this new weapon at the Death Knight, forcing him to break off his attack and parry Byleth's strike. Byleth swung the whip-blade again, prompting the Death Knight to jump his horse back.

The blade's segments floated around Byleth and Dorothea, protecting them from any new move the Death Knight could make. Everyone in the chamber was silent, including the Western Church soldiers.

With a single short laugh, the Death Knight said, "What a pleasant surprise."

"Do tell!" shouted a boisterous woman's voice, prompting the Death Knight to turn and see another glowing blade and its wielder.

Catherine and several of the Knights of Seiros poured into the Holy Mausoleum. Behind them, quivering in fright, was Bernadetta, doing her best not to be seen by anyone in the tomb. Beside her was the large, confident frame of Alois.

"Y-You see, I told you! They're here!" Bernadetta stammered. "I dunno what they're up to, but–"

"It's alright, Bernadetta," said Alois, giving the girl a small pat on the head that seemed to calm her down. Then, turning to his subordinates, he shouted, "Round them up, men!"

"Yes sir!" shouted one of the other knights as they rushed to apprehend what was left of the Western Church soldiers. The soldiers were quick to throw down their arms and surrender, totally outmatched by the knights.

The Death Knight, however, did not lower his weapon. He glanced between Catherine and Byleth.

Turning back to Byleth, the Death Knight said, "I didn't expect to encounter someone like you… How fortunate."

Then he charged again toward Byleth. Byleth readied herself to counter the Death Knight's attack.

But that attack never came. The Death Knight was suddenly surrounded by a veil of black mist that crackled with dark magic. Reactively, Byleth slashed at him with her whip sword, but the weapon only met air.

The Death Knight had vanished.

Byleth was panting for breath for a moment. The glowing sword retracted its segments back into its normal state. And then it fell from her grip as her strength seemed to leave her body. Byleth slumped to the floor beside Dorothea, who was quick to check on her teacher.

"Professor? Are you okay?" asked Dorothea.

"I… I'll be alright…" answered Byleth.

Dorothea could tell Byleth wasn't being totally straightforward, but she didn't realize to what extent it was. Byleth, meanwhile, took in a series of deep breaths as she felt an unfamiliar weariness fill her body. As far as she could remember, that had been the closest she had ever been to dying. The very thought of it left her weak in the knees.

The two then took a moment to gaze at the strange sword that lay on the ground before them. It was unlike any blade either of them had ever seen, clearly made of some ancient material. In some respects, it resembled the Thunderbrand. Curiously, there was a large round hole in the center of what would've constituted the crosspiece.

It was clearly a Hero's Relic.

Still catching her breath, Dorothea said jokingly, "That's… definitely a better birthday present than I got you…"

* * *

_Anybody else think the cutscene where Byleth gets the Sword of the Creator was kinda lame? This would've been so much more awesome._

_Also, was this too much fanservice for a fight scene?_


	17. No Trial

_Now for a scene that I'm sure will be met with some skepticism._

* * *

**Chapter 17 – No Trial (Blue Sea Moon)**

"As all of you have committed a breach of faith, the archbishop will now pass judgement," Seteth said as he stood before the few surviving raiders of the Holy Mausoleum.

From behind a pillar, Dorothea watched and listened while trying to remain unseen. However, she knew she must have been doing a poor job, as she had gotten a glance earlier from Shamir, the spymaster of the Knights of Seiros. The curvaceous Dagdan woman was unlike any other member of the Knights, as she had no faith in the teachings of Seiros. Dorothea could only speculate on why Shamir was accepted into such a position.

In her usual taciturn tone, Shamir said, "Inciting a Kingdom noble to rebel. Unlawful entry. The attempted assassination of the archbishop. An attack on the Holy Mausoleum. It is unnecessary to go on, followers of the Western Church."

The leader of the remaining intruders exclaimed, "What?! We have nothing to do with the Western Church!"

It was a lie anyone could have seen through.

"You have already been identified," Seteth interrupted. "Please spare us your second-rate theater."

It was then that Rhea finally spoke, and her voice held none of her usual kindness.

"Dishonoring a holy ceremony is worthy of death for a member of the church. You are well past the hope of redemption." Glaring at the intruders, Rhea almost shouted as she said, "If you have any grace remaining, you will willingly offer your life as atonement for this crime!"

In fear for their lives, a second member of the intruders said, "No! This isn't what we were told would happen! We've been deceived!"

"It's no use arguing," said Shamir. "Whatever your excuse, the punishment stands."

"May your souls find peace as they return to the goddess…" Rhea said as she turned away.

Several Church soldiers then stepped forward to lead the captives away. As they did, the first intruder said, "Wait! Please! The goddess would never forgive you for our execution!"

The second one then shouted at Rhea, "Monster! We know you've already slaughtered many of our fellow brethren like this!"

"You condemn all of Fódlan with your actions!" shouted a third one.

Then, as a soldier was about to lead away the fourth one, the intruder surprised everyone as he rushed forward and began channeling holy magic as he charged right at Rhea.

"Burn, you apostate!" shouted the suicidal priest. "My life for the Goddess!"

But just as Shamir and Seteth were about to raise their weapons, Rhea spun around with an exquisitely made sword in her hand. The priest's cry died in his throat as Rhea gracefully ran him through his neck with a single well-placed thrust. She then withdrew the blade as swiftly as she had sent it into the priest and turned away as her victim fell dead to the ground.

"Rhea…" Seteth said uneasily.

"Remove these poor, lost souls from my sight," Rhea said in a tone of calm malice.

The remaining intruders were led away by Shamir and the soldiers. Rhea was accompanied by Seteth as she strode toward her office. But as she was just about to pass through the archway to her office, Rhea turned her gaze to look at Dorothea as the singer peered out from her hiding place.

Dorothea shrunk back immediately, though she knew she had been spotted. Hoping she would not meet the same fate as the priest whose blood was now pooling across the floor of the chamber, Dorothea quickly made her exit.

In her haste to flee, she did not even realize that Byleth had been watching her and Rhea the whole time.

…

Dorothea ran a comb through her hair as she tried to calm down from the day's excitement. Besides Caspar, no one else in the Holy Mausoleum battle had been seriously hurt, and Caspar was expected to make a full recovery within two weeks. The boy even tried bragging about how he would get a big scar when Hilda and Annette had come to visit him, as though nearly dying was an accomplishment. Dorothea just couldn't understand it.

A loud knock on the door broke Dorothea out of her thoughts.

"Dorothea, are you there?" Byleth said loudly as she stood outside the diva's room.

"Professor Byleth?" Dorothea answered as she stood up. "Hold on, I'll open the door."

Dorothea opened her door to see Byleth staring at her with her usual stoic countenance. She had changed into her academy uniform while her battle clothes and overcoat were being mended by Mercedes, who had offered to fix them after her fight with the Death Knight. Dorothea noticed the strange sword Byleth had wielded in the Holy Mausoleum was now strapped to her thigh in an elaborate scabbard.

"Is there something you needed?" asked Dorothea.

"I wanted to have a talk, if that's alright," said Byleth.

"Oh, of course! Please, come in."

Dorothea led Byleth into her room and shut the door behind her, then took a seat on her bed while Byleth pulled up a chair for herself. Byleth made a quick glance about Dorothea's room, which was filled with various bottles of perfumes, makeup, and other beauty products. A book of sheet music was laid out on Dorothea's desk.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Dorothea asked Byleth.

"About what you saw in the second-floor chamber," Byleth answered.

"H-Huh? Were you… watching me?"

"You aren't that hard to spot."

Sheepishly, Dorothea stammered, "Well, I was just curious about what was… I mean, surely everyone else is gonna be told about it sooner or later, right? Ehhehehehe…"

As Dorothea broke out in a cold sweat, Byleth said, "You aren't in any trouble, Dorothea. Rhea told me as much."

Sighing loudly in relief, Dorothea said, "Oh, thank goodness. After I saw what she did to that man, I thought I was in hot water. Anyhow, I didn't know Rhea could move like that. I thought she was just a figurehead or something, but that was incredible! And…"

"And…?"

"And, well… I never knew Rhea could be that… coldhearted. I mean, she killed that priest without blinking an eye, and the others from the Western Church…"

It was at this moment that Dorothea's mood became gloomy. All of the remaining intruders from the Western Church had been swiftly executed following Rhea's judgement. The thought brought back bad memories for the diva.

"Is something wrong?" asked Byleth.

Taking a deep breath, Dorothea asked, "Professor… Do you agree with the archbishop's actions?"

"What do you mean?"

"She ordered those priests to be executed without giving them any sort of fair trial. Granted, it probably would have ended the same way, but still, didn't they at least have the right to one? What gives Rhea the right to just order someone's death, no questions asked, without giving them a chance to say their peace?"

It was then that Dorothea thought she had made a terrible mistake.

"I-I'm sorry, I–"

"Don't apologize, Dorothea," Byleth interrupted. "But to answer your question, I agree with you. Even if they were guilty, those men deserved a chance to explain their actions, and Rhea didn't give it to them."

The two were silent for a moment as they sat. Outside the room, they could still hear the faint chatter of students and soldiers, who obviously had their own thoughts on what had transpired.

Breaking up the silence, Dorothea said, "It reminds me of things back in Enbarr."

"It does?"

"Yeah. I wasn't always an opera star, you know, before I got here. Before I found myself on the stage, I was a simple orphan on the streets just trying to survive from day to day. And there were a lot of others like me, doing whatever we had to just to stay alive. Sometimes, that meant stealing or doing other things that weren't within the law. And if you ever got caught, you'd either lose your hand or be sent straight to the gallows. People would flock go to those places every day just to watch a daily punishment, all because a beggar got hungry or went someplace where they shouldn't have. And no matter how they protested, no matter how much they tried to explain themselves… if they were trying to feed their children, or just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, the result was always the same."

"That's terrible…" said Byleth.

"And yet whenever someone from the nobility did those things, they were always the ones given the chance to come up with an excuse or allowed to have leeway because of their standing. And whenever I saw that happening, I thought… 'How is that fair?' Why should we not get the chance to tell everyone why we did these things, but those in power do? How come the laws only benefit those in power? How come they don't have to pay for any of their crimes while those in the streets and alleys have to suffer and die just because they were starving?!"

It took a moment before Dorothea realized she had almost been shouting, and that she had stood herself up in her indignation. Realizing how loud she had been, Dorothea stammered a bit as she looked at Byleth, who continued her stoic stare.

"I… I'm sorry, Professor…" Dorothea said as she slumped back onto her bed. "I didn't mean to rant on like that…"

Dorothea couldn't find anything else to say, and so she buried her face in her hands. She just hoped no one had overheard what she was saying.

"It isn't fair," said Byleth, prompting Dorothea to look up at her.

"Professor?"

"They deserve better than that. Noble or commoner, everyone should be allowed an equal chance to let their reasons be heard."

Dorothea paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "I'm glad to hear you say that, Professor."

Byleth nodded at this.

Then, Dorothea asked, "Oh, on another topic, that knight in the Holy Mausoleum called you something. What was it… oh, yes, the 'Ashen Demon'? What was that about?"

Dorothea was then a bit surprised to see Byleth's expression change from her usual stoicism to an unhappy frown. It wasn't one of anger or sadness, but more like disappointment.

"That… was what other mercenaries would call me. The Ashen Demon. It's… not something I like being called."

"No? Why?"

Byleth did not answer this, and instead turned her gaze away from Dorothea's.

"Sorry, Professor. I suppose that's a bit personal."

Again, there was silence was between the two. Dorothea's eyes wandered back to the mysterious sword on Byleth's hip.

"So, they let you keep that thing?" asked Dorothea.

"They did. It's called the Sword of the Creator."

"The Sword of the Creator? I'm no expert on Hero's Relics, but I've never heard of that one."

"It's supposed to have been the weapon of the King of Liberation, Nemesis. According to Rhea, no one else but he could wield it."

"But… it reacted to you… Does that mean you're descended from him?"

"I'm not sure."

"That's really strange…"

At this moment, Dorothea's eyes widened as she remembered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot again!" Dorothea said in a peppier tone. "I got you something for your birthday!"

Springing off her bed, Dorothea went to a set of shelves at the back of her room and pulled one open. She then removed the silver locket from it, which still ticked silently.

"I got this from Anna's shop. She calls it a pocket watch. It'll help you tell the time of day." Dorothea opened the locket to show the clock to Byleth as she added, "Given how busy you are these days, maybe it'll come in handy."

Byleth looked at the strange device and gently took it into her hands. It didn't take long for her to see how it worked, and immediately her head began filling with ideas on how it could be used.

"Well…?" Dorothea asked gingerly.

"It's… Thank you, Dorothea. I'll put this to good use."

Just as Dorothea was about to say something else, the familiar academy bell began to ring.

_Dum… Dum dun dun… Dom…_

The sound prompted the two to look at the watch. The small hand was pointed downward and to the left, while the other two were pointed straight up.

"I guess that means it's getting late," said Byleth as she looked out at Dorothea's window to see the sun was starting to set.

"Oh, you're right," Dorothea said as she saw the setting sun as well. "We'd better get to the dining hall before we're missed."

With that, the two women left Dorothea's room to head for dinner, while Sothis floated invisibly near Byleth.

"Happy birthday, my friend," said the green-haired girl.

* * *

_One thing about Dorothea is that she's really passionate, something that I want to capture in this story. She's not afraid to speak her mind (though she may fear the consequences), she tends to think more with her heart rather than her head, and that's part of her charm, IMO. That said, maybe I'm being heavy-handed again._


	18. The Veterans (Verdant Rain Moon)

_Maybe I had this one too all-over-the-place._

* * *

**Chapter 18 – The Veterans (Verdant Rain Moon)**

Dorothea waved goodbye to another one-time date as the student left her presence. Yet again, she found him wanting; this one had been far too concerned with improving his minor family's status. It was just the kind of thing Dorothea disliked.

Deciding to try again another time, the diva made her way down the stairwell to the entrance hall and, to her curiosity, saw Byleth conversing with an elderly orange-haired knight.

"I may have slowed a step in recent years, but I pledge to you the full extent of my abilities," said the elderly knight.

Shaking the knight's hand, Byleth said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Gilbert."

"No, Professor. The pleasure is all mine, I assure you."

The name rang a bell in Dorothea's head. Gilbert was easily one of the oldest knights in the Church of Seiros, and one of the few Crusaders of Seiros. Each Crusader was handpicked by Rhea for their bravery, skill, and devotion, so Gilbert had to be quite the warrior.

At that moment, Gilbert took notice of Dorothea and asked, "Is she one of your students, Professor Eisner?"

Byleth turned to see Dorothea and said, "Yes, Dorothea's a first-year in my class. She's one of our mages."

"I see." Turning to Dorothea, Gilbert said, "I was simply explaining to your Professor that I am to be accompanying your class on its assignment this month. With the thieves having the Lance of Ruin in their possession, we cannot be too careful."

"Well, that's reassuring," said Dorothea.

"Catherine's also going to be joining us on this," said Byleth. "Rhea insisted that she be on the mission."

"Then I guess we don't have anything to worry about."

As Gilbert smiled warmly at Dorothea, the conversation was interrupted by an energetic shout.

"FATHER!"

Startled, the three turned to see Annette standing some distance from them with a look of utter joy on her face.

"F-Father?" Dorothea said in surprise.

She looked back at Gilbert, then at Annette, and then at Gilbert again, with Byleth mimicking her stare. She began to see the resemblance.

Annette broke into a run and shouted, "Father, it's really you! I've been looking everywhere for– GAHCK!"

Dorothea winced loudly as Annette's leg struck a box and sent her tumbling to the floor. It was quite a nasty fall for the orange-haired girl.

"Ahh… Who put that box there?" Annette whined as she tried to push herself up. She looked up at Gilbert as she did.

There was a moment of silence. Gilbert did nothing as Annette stared at her.

"F-Father?"

"Annie, are you okay?" Dorothea asked as she rushed over to the girl.

"Y-Yeah, I'll be – OW!"

Annette yelped as she lifted her left leg and fell back to the floor on her side. Dorothea immediately knelt down to look at her leg; she had probably sprained her ankle.

As Dorothea did this, Gilbert briskly turned to Byleth and said, "If you will excuse me."

Gilbert then turned to leave, but only took a few steps before Annette said, "Father, wait! Don't you recognize me? Father!"

Gilbert did not stop. As soon as he was out of sight, Annette's eyes began to water.

"Father…"

Byleth knelt next to Dorothea as she asked, "Annette, is Sir Gilbert–"

"Yes, yes, he is! I know it's him! But why… why didn't he say anything?"

"Annie…" Dorothea said in concern.

"I have to see him. I have to – AGH!"

Annette had tried to get up again, but again her leg gave out under her. Byleth caught her before she could hit the floor a third time.

"You need to go to the infirmary," Byleth said calmly.

"No, it's not that serious! I'll be – WHAA?!"

To both Annette's and Dorothea's surprise, Byleth swiftly scooped the orange-haired girl into her arms.

"There will be plenty of time for you to speak to him after we get your leg checked."

"B-But I…"

"Professor Byleth's right, Annie," said Dorothea. "You can talk to him later, but right now you need to see Manuela."

Realizing she wasn't going to win the argument, Annette sniffled and said, "O-Okay…"

Byleth then carried Annette off to find the physician, leaving Dorothea in the entrance hall alone. As soon as Byleth was out of eyesight, the diva frowned, spun on her heel, and strode off after the elderly knight.

She didn't make it far before a blonde-haired prince stood in her path.

"Ah, Dorothea," said Dimitri. "Are you in some kind of hurry?"

"Prince Dimitri," Dorothea answered curtly. "Actually, I was, so could you please…"

"You were off to give Gustave a piece of your mind, is that it?"

"Gustave? Who's–"

"Oh, my apologies. You never knew him as Gustave. I refer to Sir Gilbert."

"Well, yes. You were watching, I presume?" Dimitri nodded, so Dorothea said, "Who does he think he is leaving Annie like that when she's hurt? And after she's been looking for him all this time?"

"It's… rather complicated, I'm afraid."

"No, it isn't. He's her father. He should be helping her when she's hurt. Instead he just walks off like she doesn't even exist. Why would he do that?"

"You have to understand, Gilbert and Annette have not seen each other in almost five years now. Before he became a Knight of Seiros, Gilbert was in service to my father, and as my instructor in the art of war."

"So? That's no reason for him to–"

"Gilbert was not at my father's side when… when he died in Duscur. He's felt responsible for my father's death ever since. He renounced his title and joined the Knights of Seiros for what I can only assume is a means of atonement. But even before then, Gilbert always put his duty before his family. He was… not always there for Annette when she was a child."

Dorothea turned her gaze away from Dimitri. She let out a loud sigh of frustration, and then asked, "Prince Dimitri, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course."

"What was it like… having parents?"

"Pardon?"

"It must have been wonderful, having people who loved you and cared for you ever since you were born… I never got that."

"You didn't?"

"I'm an orphan, you see. My mother died when I was barely old enough to remember her, and my father…" Realizing the stare Dimitri was giving her, she looked back at him and added, "I don't want to talk about him."

"I see. My apologies, I–"

"You didn't do anything wrong. I just… I envy you. And not just you, but anyone else I see with their parents, parents who love them and care for them. I can't help but be jealous. Until I joined the Mittelfrank Opera Company, no one cared for me. No one would've wept if I had been hurt or killed or… All I had was myself."

Dorothea paused for a moment, giving Dimitri a chance to say something. The prince was at a loss for words.

Turning away from Dimitri, Dorothea said spitefully, "Annette deserves to have a loving father who cares for her. Not that pitiful old excuse of a knight."

Dorothea was about to storm off when Dimitri grabbed her by the arm. She winced as Dimitri's grip tightened enough for it to hurt just a bit.

She whipped back around to look at Dimitri as he said, rather crossly, "I'll ask that you not speak of him in such a way, Dorothea. Gilbert is one of the finest knights in Fódlan."

Not wanting to show any weakness, Dorothea jerked her arm away from Dimitri as she said, "That doesn't make him a good father."

Dorothea then stormed off as Dimitri's face softened.

…

It was after Dorothea had reached the training grounds that she stopped and sighed, relieved that Dimitri hadn't reacted as badly as she had expected.

"Talk about killing your chances with His Highness," said a joking voice.

Startled, Dorothea spun around to see Claude chuckling at her.

"Claude!" said Dorothea. Realizing he had been watching, she quickly recomposed herself and said, "You don't look too displeased by what I said to him. Were you, perhaps, worried that I might've asked him out first?"

"No offense, Dorothea, but you're not really my type."

"Really?"

Dorothea gave Claude a sly smile as she sauntered over to him, each step made with an alluring sway of her hips. Upon reaching the leader of the Golden Deer, Dorothea leaned forward in a move that had made men swoon over her countless times.

"Do you mind telling me what your 'type' is, Claude?" Dorothea asked seductively.

"Ah-ah, that'd be one of my many secrets," Claude replied, completely unphased by Dorothea's flirting. "If I were to tell you that, you'd have to tell me something about yourself. Something you're not so ready to share."

"H-Huh?" Dorothea's attempt to rope in the future sovereign duke stopped as Claude smiled at her look of confusion.

"You want to know something about this boy, girl?" said an unfamiliar woman's voice, one that caused Claude's face to light up in alarm. "He's not nearly as smart as he thinks he is."

As Claude spun around, Dorothea looked at the woman approaching them. She was tall with blue eyes and a similar skin tone to Claude's, with a high ponytail that draped over her right shoulder. She wore a tan and green regalia that clearly showed her noble heritage yet wore it in a way that exposed her ample cleavage. A slender sword was strapped to her thigh, unlike the ones normally used by the Knights. For a moment, Dorothea thought this woman could have been Claude's mother, but then saw she bore a different coat of arms than Claude did on her right arm.

"Judith?! What are you doing here?" Claude said to the woman.

"That's Lady Judith to you, boy," said Judith. "I told you, until you're in charge, I expect you to address me with all due respect. Anyway, I'm here to retrieve you. Duke Riegan's condition has taken a turn for the worse."

"Duke Riegan?" asked Dorothea. "You mean Claude's father?"

"Grandfather," Claude corrected. Turning back to Judith, he asked, "Are you saying the old man's on his death bed?"

"No, it's not that bad," said Judith. "But in the state he's in, he won't be able to participate in the next roundtable conference. He wants you to go in his stead. I volunteered to play the messenger."

"Well, thanks for that." Turning back to Dorothea, Claude added, "Oh, and Dorothea, this is Judith. Also known as the Hero of House Daphnel."

"So, you're one of little Claude's friends, are you? How much trouble has he been giving all of you?"

"Oh, I'd say… plenty of it," Dorothea said coyly.

Ignoring this, Claude said, "If her nickname didn't give it away, you should know that Judith… er, Lady Judith is the leader of the famous House Daphnel of the Leicester Alliance. She used to be a big deal at the roundtable conferences, but it seems of late she's been reduced to a mere–"

"You had better shut that mouth before I put my boot in it, you tactless nuisance!" Judith snapped. "Now come on. Let's get going."

"All right, all right. Just let me grab a few things first from my room, would you, Judith?"

As Claude took off for his quarters, Judith said crossly, "It's Lady…" Claude was out of earshot by the time she spoke, so she sighed and said, "Ah, I suppose you are the active leader for the time being. Fair enough, boy. Fair enough." Then, turning back to Dorothea, she added, "Sorry, dear, but I'll need to borrow your boyfriend for a bit."

Caught off guard, Dorothea blushed as she said, "W-What? Boyfriend?! Oh, nononono! We're not–"

Judith laughed at this and said, "Oh, I know. Don't take it personally, he's got… different tastes in girls."

Dorothea noticed Judith motioning in Claude's direction, so she turned to see Claude had almost run straight into Petra at that moment. They couldn't hear what he was saying, but it was clear that Claude spoke in a flirtatious tone as he apologized to the Brigid princess.

Judith smirked at this and said, "Ah, young love." As Dorothea continued to blush at such a thought, Judith asked, "What's your name, girl?"

"Me? Oh, I'm Dorothea. Dorothea Arnault. Part of the Black Eagles."

"Is that so? Well, good on you for getting into the Academy."

"Oh, um, thank you, Lady Judith."

"No need for you to be that courteous, kiddo. I only make Claude do it to teach the boy some manners." Then, to Dorothea's surprise, Judith asked, "How good are you with a sword?"

"E-Excuse me?"

"What, are you hard of hearing? How are you with a weapon, girl?"

"I, well, um…"

Judith took this opportunity to walk over to a nearby weapon rack, grabbing two wooden practice swords and throwing one of them to Dorothea, who nearly dropped the weapon.

"How's about you show me how well the academy's been teaching you?"

Dorothea gulped loudly as Judith took a graceful fighting stance.

And within a few seconds, Dorothea groaned as she found herself flat on her back.

* * *

_Yeah, Dorothea currently sucks with a sword, but she'll get better. And Annette is still tripping over boxes and barrels._


	19. A Mother's Grave

_And now we get our first glimpse of how the Cindered Shadows DLC will be incorporated into the story._

* * *

**Chapter 19 – A Mother's Grave (Verdant Rain Moon)**

Jeralt made his way down the eastern side of the monastery, past the Knight's Hall, with a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. It was a rather jarring sight for anyone who didn't know the man, but no one made a fuss over it.

That is, until a certain brown-haired singer noticed him. Dorothea's curiosity was piqued by the sight of someone as gruff as Jeralt carrying a bunch of flowers.

"Sir Jeralt," Dorothea said playfully as she approached the grizzled veteran. "Off to see someone special today?"

"You might say that," answered Jeralt.

"May I ask who this special someone is?" With a magnanimous smile, she added, "Is it someone I know? Maybe I could tell you her likes and disli–"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, young lady, but I'm afraid you've got the wrong impression," Jeralt interrupted.

"Oh? Then who are they… for…?"

Dorothea's words trailed off as Jeralt turned to his right and began to walk down a flight of stairs. Though deep down she knew where he was heading, Dorothea strode forward to look down at Jeralt's destination: the monastery graveyard.

As realization fully sunk in for her, Dorothea followed Jeralt as she said, "Oh. Sir Jeralt, I'm sorry. I must have sounded so insensitive there."

"There's no need for apologies."

"May I ask who you're here to see?"

Jeralt was silent, but his silence was enough of a prompt for Dorothea to continue following him. She glanced around at the cemetery and its countless crumbling gravestones, many with wording that had long faded to time and many others covered in plant life that brought them to the brink of erosion. It was a somber sight to the singer.

But then Jeralt stopped, yet it was not in front of any grave. Dorothea almost bumped into him before she realized he had stopped, and stepped back as she moved to look around his broad frame. Her gaze fell upon a solitary gravestone, one that was in far more pristine condition than the others.

She could barely make out the words upon it from where she stood.

_Sitri Eisner_

_1139-1159_

_Resting in the warm embrace of cherished memories._

And next to the grave were two others who had come to pay their respects. Dorothea immediately recognized Byleth as the teacher knelt before the grave. The other was a man she did not know, with black hair wearing an ebony robe with a crimson trim.

The man turned toward them and, looking at Jeralt, said, "I was wondering when I'd find you here, old friend." His voice was gentle and calming.

"Aelfric!" Jeralt said with a smile as he strode up to the man and embraced him in a brotherly hug. "How have you been? I haven't seen you since I left 20 years ago."

"I've been rather busy, actually. I must say, the years have certainly been kinder to you than I." Turning to Byleth, Aelfric continued, "So, this is your daughter, Byleth?"

"Yes, she is."

Aelfric took a moment to smile as he said, "She looks so much like her. So much like Sitri."

"What are you both doing here?"

"Well, I had just introduced myself to your daughter recently and, after bringing up her mother, I offered to show her the place where she is buried. Though, to be honest, Jeralt, I thought you would have shown her this place by now."

"Rhea's been keeping me busy ever since I came back to the monastery. You know how she is."

"Indeed. She's had me doing quite a lot for her as well."

"And what exactly do you do for Rhea?" asked Dorothea.

"I apologize, young lady, but I am not at liberty to discuss that with a student of the Officer's Academy."

"Oh? Why is that?"

It was at this moment that Byleth rose from her kneel and turned to face her father and Dorothea. Byleth's expression, to Dorothea's curiosity, was one that clearly showed she wanted some answers, yet without any anger to it. It was more a look of disappointment.

"Father," Byleth said to Jeralt. "Why is Mother's grave here? You told me she was buried all the way out near Redwater Village."

"Hrm? Oh… I guess I did tell you that," Jeralt said as he scratched his head. "I apologize, Byleth, it's just… I wouldn't know where to begin…"

Despite the awkwardness of the exchange, Dorothea said, "Well, why don't you tell us a bit about her, Sir Jeralt?"

Pausing for a moment, Jeralt said, "I suppose I haven't talked much about her." Turning back to Byleth, he continued, "Sitri was gentle and smart. So smart. A wonderful cook. Always kind to everyone. And…"

As if to punctuate his next point, Jeralt stepped up to the gravestone and placed the bouquet of flowers down upon it.

"She loved flowers. Whenever I brought her back an unusual flower, her face would light up. I cherish those memories. I can't count how many times she made me happy just by smiling." He then turned to Byleth as he added, "And she smiled the most… when she was pregnant with you."

"I remember those days," said Aelfric. "You told her such stories of the outside world and each one would make her so happy."

"The outside world?" asked Dorothea.

"Sitri was born frail, you see," answered Aelfric. "She lacked the strength to travel beyond the monastery. The only souls she ever spoke with were a select few within the monastery walls. And she found it difficult to express her emotions."

This made Dorothea giggle for a second. Looking at Byleth, she said jokingly, "Well, now I see where you get that from."

"Huh?" Byleth asked in confusion.

"Oh, it's nothing."

Ignoring this joke, Aelfric continued, "Whenever Jeralt would return with stories of his adventures, it always made her so much livelier. It was the only times I would ever see her smile… a smile that rivaled the very sun."

For a moment, Jeralt smiled at Aelfric's words. But then Jeralt's expression turned to one of muted sorrow as he shut his eyes.

This prompted Byleth to ask, "What happened to her?"

Sighing, Jeralt answered, "She died right after you were born. She couldn't bear the strain of childbirth, and she wasn't able to spend much time with you. But she loved you with all her heart. That's the truest thing I know…"

"Oh, Sir Jeralt, that's just so wonderful, and yet… so tragic," said Dorothea. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Jeralt simply nodded in thanks to Dorothea. Then, he reached into a satchel on his belt and pulled out something from it. It was an exquisitely-made silver ring with a number of small amethysts embedded in a flower-like pattern.

Looking at Byleth, Jeralt said, "This ring is the only keepsake I have left of her. In time, it will be yours. One day, I hope you'll give this ring to someone you love as well as I love her."

…

Dorothea and Byleth left Jeralt and Aelfric in the cemetery to catch up with one another while the two women made their way back toward the dormitories. Along the way, they caught glimpses of the other students going about their day. Dorothea was left giggling after hearing Ingrid shouting at Sylvain for having a childhood attraction to her grandmother. Then, minutes later, the singer found herself rolling her eyes upon seeing Lorenz trying to negotiate his way out of doing manual labor with Leonie. They also spotted Manuela squabbling with Hanneman, though this was a usual sight for those around the monastery. Dorothea had thought to ask the two why they held such animosity, but she decided against it after a moment.

It was once the two reached the dormitories that Dorothea said, "Hey, Professor, you remember what you father said? About your mother's ring?"

"What about it?" asked Byleth.

"Well, he said that you'll eventually want to give it to someone you love. Tell me, is there anyone here who catches your fancy? Maybe I could help."

"I'd… rather not think about it right now."

"Oh, don't say that! You'll only be beautiful for so long, you know! We've just got to find you the perfect match!"

"Dorothea, I appreciate the notion, but I'm not interested in romance right now. I'd like to focus on my teaching for the time being."

Disappointed, Dorothea said, "Oh, alright… But do tell me if you change your mind, okay?"

"I'll… keep it in mind." Opening her pocket watch, Byleth then said, "Anyhow, I have sparring practice with Catherine in a few minutes. Would you care to join me?"

Dorothea blanched at this for a second, remembering her humiliating loss against Judith a few days ago.

"I'll… pass, Professor," Dorothea answered sheepishly. "I've got other things to–"

"Actually, I insist, Dorothea. After hearing how Lady Judith trounced you, I believe you need to work on your swordplay."

Now Dorothea went visibly red-faced.

"Y-You know about that?!"

"She spoke with me about it before she left."

Dorothea let out a whine of embarrassment at this.

"P-Professor…"

"Come on, I just need you to watch."

Byleth took Dorothea by the wrist at this point and, knowing she wasn't going to get out of this, Dorothea let out a whimper of shame as she followed Byleth to the training grounds.

* * *

_Kind of a weird note to end this on, but let's just leave it at that for now._

_Anyhow, Aelfric's inclusion into the story, as well as the Ashen Wolves, is going to be tricky, but I intend to have them in the story, as well as the events of Cindered Shadows. I hope I can nail it right._


	20. Commoner Friends

_Now for more Bernie-Bear and Secret Seller. And a very unusual cameo for an FE game/fic._

* * *

**Chapter 20 – Commoner Friends (Verdant Rain Moon)**

Bernadetta whimpered as she slipped out of the dining hall with a bowl full of Vegetable Stir-Fry, trying her best to avoid being noticed. The dining hall was full of people looking for lunch, so she knew some people had to be looking at her, but she hoped they wouldn't care.

As soon as she cleared the hedgerow and made it to the stairwell north of the dining hall, Bernadetta sighed in relief.

And then she squeaked loudly as a friendly voice said, "Hello, Bern."

Bernadetta knew it was Dorothea who said it, but in her panic, she whipped around and said, "Oh no! What did I do this time? Did I offend you? Is this your revenge?"

Knowing Bernadetta was simply being antsy, Dorothea said calmly, "No, not at all. I just want to talk."

"If you promise not to resort to violence, I'll do whatever you want. I'll let you have my food! A-And I'll let you copy my notes! I–"

Placing a hand on Bernadetta's head before the panicky girl could react, Dorothea said, "Bern, I've just been worried about you. That's all." She gave the girl a soft pat on the head, which seemed to calm her down. Dorothea then added, "When I said I was your friend, you ran away, saying something about your father. Remember?"

"Um… Vaguely…"

"I know you've lived through some bad times. Believe me, I've lived through a lot. If you could tell me about it, maybe I could help?"

Bernadetta looked down at her feet. She was clearly uncertain about revealing her past.

"Oh, I don't know…" Bernadetta said nervously as she looked back up to see Dorothea giving her a warm smile.

"Please. Your father's not here now. Whatever it is, you're safe to tell me."

"All right… but not here, okay? I wanna get back to my room."

Dorothea gave a comforting nod and followed Bernadetta back to her room. As soon as they were in, Dorothea slowly shut the door behind them, knowing Bernadetta would want some privacy. Bernadetta seated herself on her bed as she wolfed down a forkful of her stir-fry. Deciding to give the girl a moment, Dorothea took the opportunity to look around Bernadetta's room. It was filled with stuffed animals, sewing needles and thread, a pitcher plant, and a painting of a vast landscape. The diva's curiosity was piqued by all this, but she decided to leave it for another time.

Gulping down her meal, Bernadetta set aside her bowl and said, "D-Don't get mad at me for what I'm gonna say, okay? You gotta promise me, Dorothea!"

"I promise I won't get mad at you, Bern."

"Okay…" Bernadetta took a deep breath, and then said, "You see… My parents told me never to befriend a commoner. They said commoners are scum and that they'd crush any that tried to come near me."

Dorothea was taken aback by this and said, "H-Hang on. Scum?! They called me—I mean commoners—they called us scum?!"

"Ahh! You promised you wouldn't get mad!"

"I… Sorry, I guess I sounded like I was. But seriously, your parents think commoners are scum?"

"Yeah. But once, a long time ago, I did secretly make friends with one… a boy. He was the assistant to the gardener at our estate. He was gentle, trustworthy… and, well, the only person who had ever been nice to me when I was little. B-But…"

Dorothea watched as Bernadetta's eyes began to water. Almost dreading to ask, Dorothea said, "What happened? Bern?"

"When my father found out about him, he disappeared the next day…" Bernadetta's tears began to flow as she stammered, "I-I heard he was found beaten half to death. I never saw him again."

Dorothea's eyes went wide in horror at hearing such an appalling story. She had heard stories about Count Varley being an unpleasant man and was thankful she had never met him, but to hear of him doing something as despicable as this from his own daughter almost felt unreal.

"B-Bern… I… I'm so sorry…"

"E-Ever since then, I've been terrified of making friends with anyone. C-Commoners, especially. So please, Dorothea, don't–"

Bernadetta stopped as Dorothea wrapped her arms around the purple-haired girl in a deep hug.

Then, in as comforting a tone as possible, Dorothea said, "I'm proud to be your commoner friend, Bernie!"

Bernadetta couldn't take this. She was nearly screaming in sorrow at such a declaration as she buried her face in Dorothea's large bosom.

"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! DOROTHEAAAAA!"

"Hey, hey now, relax. There's nothing to bawl about."

"B-But my father… If h-he finds out a-about you, he'll…"

"If your dad tried to hurt me, I'd return the favor and then some."

Bernadetta made a choking sob as she looked up and asked, "R-Return… the f-favor?"

Nodding, Dorothea said, "When I was in the opera, you better believe I had run-ins with the most wicked, terrible men. I survived kidnappings, attempted murders, men who wanted to use my body as their toy."

"T-Their toy…?" It took a moment for Bernadetta to realize what this meant, at which she said, "O-Oh…"

Then, with a big smile, Dorothea said, "But you know what? I broke those guys' arms. Snap! It was a thank-you for all the trouble they went through trying to hurt me."

Dorothea knew she was embellishing it a bit. She had only ever broken one man's arms, and it had been with the help of an iron bar. She had dealt with all the others using her magic.

"R-Really?" Dorothea nodded to this, so Bernadetta said, "Y-You're incredible, Dorothea."

"So, now that you know I can defend myself, can we be friends, Bern?"

Sniffling, Bernadetta smiled as she said, "A-All right. Yeah. Yeah!"

"And since we're now friends, how's about we celebrate the occasion?"

"H-Huh? C-Celebrate? How?"

"I know this great store in town that has all kinds of stuffed animals for sale. You wanna go pick one out?"

"R-Really? B-But the market's so scary! So many people in it…"

"Don't worry, Bern. No one's gonna try to hurt you. I'll be there. It'll be fine."

"W-Well, okay… I g-guess I could…"

Enthusiastically, Dorothea grabbed Bernadetta by the wrist and said, "Great! Let's go!"

Shocked, Bernadetta said in protest, "H-Huh? You mean right now?! Wait, I'm not ready! AHH! DOROTHEAAA!"

Her protests were fruitless, however, as Dorothea dragged her by the hand to the market.

…

Bernadetta gasped for breath as though her life depended on it once the two reached Anna's shop. Thankfully, no one else but the redheaded owner was in.

"Oh… Why me…?" Bernadetta groaned.

In a tone of comfort, Dorothea said, "Bern, it's okay. You're fine. Just calm down."

Coming out from her storage room, Anna said, "Hey, Dorothea! How'd By like that watch I sold you?"

"She loved it, Anna. Oh, this is Bernadetta. She's in my class. I was hoping to let her pick one of your stuffed animals."

"Nice to meet you, Bern."

Anna stuck her hand out toward Bernadetta, something which the purple-haired girl perceived as a threat.

"AH! Stay back! Please don't hurt me!"

"Huh?" Anna said, flabbergasted by Bernadetta's panic.

"Bernie, it's okay." Turning back to Anna, Dorothea said in a whisper, "She's usually like this."

"Uh huh. Is she just the neurotic type or is she dealing with some kind of deep-seated trauma?"

Caught off guard by Anna's intelligent question, Dorothea said, "Uh, um… maybe a little bit of both? More the second one. Her father's a real monster."

"Yeah, and who's her father?"

"Count Varley, in the Empire."

"Wait, THE Count Varley?! I've heard all kinds of nasty stories about him. I hear he once beat a little kid within an inch of his life just for trying to be friendly to… his…"

Anna stopped as she noticed Bernadetta's eyes beginning to well up with tears. She turned back to Dorothea, who gave her an affirmative look.

"Oh." Wincing, Anna said, "I've put my foot in my mouth, haven't I?"

"You didn't know."

"Oh, I feel just awful about bringing that up. So sorry, kiddo."

Bernadetta said nothing to this, but her sniffles were enough of a reply.

"Lemme tell you, parents like that make me sick," said Anna. "All they give a damn about is marrying off their kids and getting grandkids with Crests so they can rake in the benefits. I can relate, Bernie, I really can."

"T-Thanks for saying so, Miss Anna," Bernadetta whimpered.

"Hey, just call me Anna. Now how's about you have a look at my selection of stuffies?" Placing a finger to her cheek with her usual smile, she added, "I'll even give you one half-off!"

"Really?" Bernadetta perked up at hearing this.

"Sure! But just for the first one. Everything else is at full price."

Bernadetta happily made her way to Anna's bin full of stuffed animals. Dorothea smiled as the purple-haired recluse took particular interest in one critter that resembled a brown mushroom with large oval-shaped feet, big beady eyes, a pair of thick eyebrows, and cute little fangs sprouting up from the lower jaw.

As Bernadetta did this, Dorothea turned back to Anna upon realizing something.

"Hey, Anna? What did you mean when you said, 'I can relate'?"

"Huh? D-Did I say that?" Anna said nervously. "Nope, nope! You must've… must've heard me wrong."

"Oh no, I did not hear you wrong, Anna! You said you could relate to Bernie's upbringing. What did you mean by that?"

"I… um… ugh, me and my big fat mouth…"

"You're not secretly a noble, are you?" Dorothea asked coyly.

"No! No, I'm not!" Anna snapped, to which Dorothea recoiled in surprise and Bernadetta squeaked in fear. Then, calming down, Anna said, "I'm not a noble, and I never wanna be. Now are you gonna buy something?"

Deciding it would be best to leave the subject for another time, Dorothea nodded and went to help Bernadetta pick out her purchase. Once the redhead had a sum of gold in her hand, she smiled as she waved the two out of her shop, with Bernadetta now in possession of the strange mushroom-like stuffy.

As the door to her shop closed, Anna scowled and said to herself, "I never wanna be one again…"

* * *

_I originally had this support conversation heavily edited to make Count Varley look more evil, but after the Cindered Shadows DLC came out, I had to change it back to being more like the game version._

_Anyway, who here liked the cameo?_


	21. Nightmares and Memories

_This chapter's gonna be pretty important in the future._

* * *

**Chapter 21 – Nightmares and Memories (Verdant Rain Moon)**

"It's getting late, I should go," said a male student as he blushed and turned away from Dorothea. "We'll do this again sometime, right?"

"Hmm, maybe…" Dorothea said playfully. It was enough to bring an embarrassed smile to the student's face as he scampered off.

As soon as he was gone, however, Dorothea said sardonically, "Maybe in another hundred years…"

It had been another dead-end romance for the diva. This boy was far from ideal for her, as he wanted to keep the romance a secret in order to keep up public appearances. It was not at all what Dorothea would've wanted; it would be too easy for such a boy to give his heart to someone else and claim Dorothea was just a fling, or outright deny any connection to her.

The diva sighed aloud. It was becoming harder and harder to find a good partner. Her reputation for one-time dates with boys had been growing, so more of them had been getting wise to her flirting.

In any event, she wasn't going to be able to go for any dates for a little while. She and the others were scheduled to begin marching toward Conand Tower the following morning. Realizing that she was going to need her beauty sleep, Dorothea began her walk back to her room from the second floor of the dormitories.

As she made her way to the main hall of the dorms, however, she was met by a familiar pair of stoic blue eyes.

"More troubles with love, I see," said Byleth.

"Oh, Professor Byleth," Dorothea replied. "I'm afraid he's not the one for me. He's nice and all, but I don't like the idea of being some private affair for him."

"We've talked about this, Dorothea…"

"Yes, we have. And I believe I told you I wasn't changing my plans regarding my future. I know that's gonna mean some broken hearts, but–"

The two stopped their conversation as, all of a sudden, a feminine moaning was heard through one of the doors. Puzzled, Dorothea and Byleth turned to the door from which the sounds were coming from. Dorothea immediately recognized the standard of the Adrestian Royal Family hanging from the door.

"Was that… Edie…?" Dorothea said in a hushed tone.

"What is she doing in there?" asked Byleth, something which made Dorothea stare at her incredulously.

Then, as another moan came from the room, Dorothea's cheeks went pink.

Byleth reached for the doorknob as she said, "She sounds like she's–"

Startled, Dorothea quickly grabbed Byleth's wrist and hissed, "Professor, what are you doing?! You don't just barge in on someone when they're… you know…"

"When they're what?"

Dorothea stared at Byleth in disbelief. Did she really not know what those sounds implied?

But then, the moaning changed its tune.

"F-Fath… Father… W-Wait… S-Save… Help… Please… No…! Agh…!"

Dorothea's blush vanished as her eyes widened in concern. This was not at all the sound of a girl tending to her body's needs.

The brown-haired girl knocked on Edelgard's door and said, "Edie? Edie, are you okay?"

Inside the room, Edelgard woke with a short shriek and bolted upright in her bed. Cold sweat ran down her face as she instinctively grabbed a dagger by her bedside and blurted out, "Who's there?!"

"Edie, it's me," Dorothea said through the door. "Are you alright? I heard you crying out."

"I… uh… just one moment!"

Flustered, Edelgard stowed the dagger away in her dresser as she pulled on a nightgown and put her feet into a pair of wool slippers.

Warily, the princess opened the vision slit to her door to see who was outside. She was met by Dorothea's green eyes and Byleth's blue ones. The sight of the Professor surprised Edelgard, but still she opened the door for both of them.

"Professor? Dorothea? Why are you both here?" asked Edelgard.

"We heard you calling out to someone," said Byleth. "Can we come in?"

"Oh. Of course."

Edelgard's cheeks were slightly pink as Byleth and Dorothea entered the room.

"So, what was going on in here?" asked Dorothea.

"It… It was nothing," Edelgard answered. "I was just talking in my sleep."

"Bad dreams?" asked Byleth.

"Yes, it was a nightmare. I've had them since I was a child. Stupid, pointless dreams I can't control… It's terribly frustrating."

"What are they about?" asked Dorothea.

Hesitating to answer, Edelgard said, "Just… my childhood. A time before I had realized who I was destined to become."

"Anything we can help with?" asked Byleth.

"No. They're just worthless dreams of the past. Talking about it won't change a thing."

"Edie, you know you can tell us anything," said Dorothea. "What's wrong in telling us about your dreams? You can trust us, right?"

"Perhaps…" Then, after taking a deep breath, Edelgard said, "But only if you both swear not to tell a soul. Understood?"

"Of course, Edie."

"I understand," said Byleth.

Giving the two a slow nod, Edelgard said, "I appreciate it, both of you." She sighed loudly, took a deep breath, and then said, "I dream of… my older brother, paralyzed, helpless… my older sister crying for help that never came… the youngest babbling words beyond meaning. I see my family dying slowly, waiting in the darkest depths for a glimmer of light. I once had ten siblings, eight older and two younger. Such a large family, and yet I became the heir to the throne. Do you know why?"

Dorothea could only stare into Edelgard's eyes in apprehension. She had a good idea where this was going.

"Every last one of them was crippled by disease or lost their mind or died. I was the only one left who could inherit the throne."

"Oh, Edie…" Dorothea gasped in horror. "That's awful…"

"How could such a thing happen…?" asked Byleth, far calmer than Dorothea.

Gazing down at her lap, Edelgard continued, "Things kept getting worse. The darkness kept getting darker. In the end, I was the only one who survived. The nightmares are a reminder… to never forget. To never allow such terrible things to happen again."

"Never again…" Dorothea said breathlessly.

"Even now, I'm the only one who can carry the weight of the Adrestian Empire. The future of the Empire… of everything… depends on me. I cannot… must not…"

Edelgard stopped as Dorothea leaned forward and clasped the princess' hands with her own. Edelgard looked up at Dorothea to see the diva giving her a warm smile.

"Edie, thank you for telling us," said Dorothea. "But you don't need to bear all that weight on your own, you know. We're your friends. We can help you."

Byleth made an affirmative nod to this. For a moment, it looked as though Edelgard were going to smile.

But then she pulled her hands away from Dorothea's grasp, stood up, and walked away from the singer as she said, "That's very kind of you, Dorothea, but I can't have you shouldering my burdens. I am to be Emperor of the Adrestian Empire one day. And the Emperor must always rule from atop the throne, alone. It is my fate to bear, and no other's."

"Edelgard, that's…" said Byleth, but found herself unable to say anything in assurance.

"Do not think me ungrateful. You are both good friends, especially you, Dorothea. And as your friend, I can't let my duty, or my burdens, bring you to harm."

Dorothea made a small breath of amusement as she said, "As preposterous as ever, Edie. Just like when we first met."

This brought a smile to Edelgard's face as the princess said, "How long has it been now, Dorothea? Almost three years now, I think. My, how time passes so swiftly."

Curious, Byleth asked, "How did the two of you meet?"

"Oh, that? Well, I suppose we can tell you that," said Edelgard.

"Edie and I met back when I was still in the opera," said Dorothea. "It was after a performance on the Battle of the Tailtean Plains. I played the role of Seiros."

"I remember it like it was yesterday. You looked marvelous in that dress, Dorothea."

Smiling, Dorothea said, "Believe it or not, she actually snuck away from her father after the show and into my changeroom so she could criticize the way I was holding my sword."

"That wasn't my intent," Edelgard said sheepishly. "My father was simply having an unpleasant discussion with Duke Aegir at the time and I wanted to get away from it. I didn't even know it was your room until I went in to hide from Hubert."

"Oh? Then why did you start pointing out the flaws in my stance?"

"I didn't know what else to say! And then you started going on about how nobles were all high-and-mighty when it came to proper swordplay, as though I had been looking down on you."

"Yeah, I did. That is, until Hubert barged in and revealed your name to me. I was so scared the moment I realized you were the Imperial Princess. I thought I was going to be hanged or imprisoned for talking to you like that."

"I told you, you had nothing to fear from that, Dorothea."

"Really, Edie? I'm pretty sure Hubert's still out to get me for it."

"Sounds like quite the start for you two," said Byleth.

"It was," said Dorothea. "Edie started coming to all my performances afterwards. And each time we would meet behind stage, talking about each other's life."

"I had never had a true friend before that point," said Edelgard. "Hubert was always there, but he's always been my vassal. Dorothea was the first commoner I had really gotten to connect with." Turning to Dorothea, Edelgard then said, "And I will always treasure that friendship with you, Dorothea."

"Aww, Edie… Y-You're gonna make me cry, you know that?"

Dorothea made a small sniffle at this as Byleth rose from her seat and opened her new pocket watch.

"It's getting late," said Byleth. "We should leave you to your sleep, Edelgard."

"Indeed…" Then, with a small smile, Edelgard added, "There must be something in the air tonight. I've never told anyone that much about my past before, not even you, Dorothea." Then, in a more somber tone, she asked, "Please… can you both forget what I told you? About my dream, that is?"

"Huh? Why?" asked Dorothea.

"Please, Dorothea."

Knowing she would have to lie, Dorothea made the best fake smile she could and said, "A-Alright, Edie…"

And despite that Edelgard nodded to this, Dorothea could not help but suspect that Edelgard had seen through her lie as she left the princess' room.

* * *

_We're never told how Edelgard and Dorothea met in the game, and just assume that they met at the Officer's Academy. As such, I've taken creative liberties here._


	22. Tower in a Storm

_Some filler before the month's big battle._

* * *

**Chapter 22 – Tower in a Storm (Verdant Rain Moon)**

Conand Tower stood eerily in the distance as the students of the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, and Golden Deer all approached from the south. The sky had turned an unpleasant gray, and a few flashes of lightning were spotted far away. It was already drizzling a bit over the students' heads, but the worst was still a little while off.

"This weather is unfortunate," said Edelgard. "Those villagers were right when they said a storm was brewing. But they were more afraid of an attack than they were of the storm. We'll need to end this quickly."

"So, that's the tower where the thieves are hiding," said Dorothea. "Honestly, it's kinda creepy-looking."

Stepping forward, Gilbert said, "This area was the site of a massive battle several hundred years ago. That's when invasions from the north were at their peak. Back then, this tower was built for both surveillance and defense. It will be difficult to seize it."

"You're very well informed, Gilbert," said Dimitri.

"And yet those thieves have made it their home," added Dorothea. "Pretty impressive for a simple gang, don't you think? And for their leader to steal a Hero's Relic too? This Miklan must be rather skilled."

"What makes you say that?" asked Byleth.

"Well, I've seen my fair share of thieves from my time in Enbarr, but none of them would have been skilled enough to pull this off. If Miklan could do all this, why is he wasting his life on being a thief?"

"You mean why did my father kick him out, is that it?" asked a familiar redhead as he ventured out of the crowd.

The group turned to look at Sylvain, knowing they had touched upon a sensitive subject.

"Sylvain!" Dorothea said, slightly startled by him.

"If you want the simple answer, it's because I have a Crest and he doesn't," said Sylvain. "Miklan was born first, but that didn't make a difference. It's the way it's always been." Seeing the group's concern, he then said, "Hey, don't bother losing your heads over those lowlifes. It's wasted effort."

"But he's your brother," said Byleth. "Does that mean nothing to you?"

"He is no longer a member of House Gautier… or my brother. He's nothing more than a common thief."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Dimitri.

Edelgard then added, "It would be understandable to find this situation… well, regrettable, to say the least."

"Regrets? Heh, surely you jest, Princess," Sylvain said playfully. "You all know we're far past the point of regret." Then, looking down at his feet, he then murmured far more seriously, "And it always falls on the younger brother to clean up the mistakes of their elders, doesn't it?"

"But it is regretful. Miklan was thrown out of your family for something he had no control of. There's no reason that Crests should have the power to dictate someone's destiny. He was just another victim of cruel fate. Forsaken by the goddess, who now demands his execution."

"In some way, I agree, Edelgard," said Dimitri. "But, on the other hand… Did you see the local villages? They were in rough shape, no doubt because of the thief attacks." Solemnly, he added, "They're not going to make it through the winter in that condition. If the thieves had taken up pillaging in order to survive, that would be deplorable… but understandable. But this… This is something else entirely. It looks as though they destroyed those villages purely for pleasure. No matter what their reasons may be, that sort of behavior cannot be allowed. Ever."

"I agree," said Edelgard. "Still, would he have been driven to such vile acts if he had not been cast out?"

"You don't know Miklan like I do," said Sylvain. Dorothea noticed he was clenching his hands tightly. "He's always been a bad influence on others. He's egotistical, selfish… he always went out of his way to make my life miserable as a child. He even once tried to drown me by throwing me down an old well."

Everyone seemed taken aback by this. Edelgard, in particular, looked as though she was about to eat her own words.

"When you see him in that tower, don't hold back for my sake. He's going to pay for everything he's done."

"Sylvain…" Dimitri murmured.

A crash of thunder brought back the group's awareness of the weather. The rain was starting to worsen.

"Well I, for one, think this conversation is getting just as bad as the weather," said Dorothea. "Maybe we can continue it after we get out of the rain? Or instead get along with our mission?"

"Agreed," said Byleth. "We can debate this further after we retrieve the Lance of Ruin. For now, let's get to the tower."

Byleth signaled for the group to continue its march toward Conand Tower. As they walked, Dorothea looked around at the others. Annette was still staring at Gilbert, hoping for some kind of acknowledgement from her father, while Sylvain had gone off to chat with Felix and Ingrid. Dimitri had walked over beside Marianne while Edelgard spoke with Hubert. Meanwhile, Byleth and Gilbert were joined by Catherine to discuss their plan of attack.

At that moment, Dorothea jumped slightly when Claude slinked up behind her and said, "Couldn't help but overhear your chat with the others, Dorothea."

"Claude…" Dorothea said in a sour tone. She was starting to get annoyed by how often he startled her. "If you were so eager to listen in, why didn't you join in on it?"

"Didn't feel like getting in between the Princess and His Highness. Besides, sibling rivalry isn't something I'm big on."

"Oh? What exactly are you big on, then?"

At that moment, Hilda slid up next to Claude and said, "Claude's been going on and on about the Lance of Ruin. About how Miklan supposedly used it to shake off the men from House Gautier who were chasing him."

"Wait, but he doesn't have a Crest," said Dorothea. "Can he really use it?"

"We'll find out soon enough," said Claude. "But if you think about it, if Miklan could use the Lance of Ruin without a Crest, why do the people place such importance on them? And then you look at the Sword of the Creator, which only Teach can use, Crest or no. Strange, isn't it?"

"When you put it like that, yeah, it kinda is," said Hilda. "Of course, my brother's never needed House Goneril's relic. He's just that strong."

"We're well aware of Lord Holst's prowess in battle, Hilda."

Dorothea decided to slip away from Claude at this moment, not all too interested in hearing about Hilda's sibling. Taking a moment for herself in the marching column, she pondered Claude's words. Could the Hero's Relics really be used by those with no Crest? The thought of it piqued her curiosity. If it were true that the Hero's Relics didn't require a Crest to be used, why did the Church seem to insist that they were needed? Was there something people weren't being told about them? Was the Church trying to hide something?

Dorothea gazed at Byleth and Catherine as she thought this over, looking at the legendary weapons strapped to their sides.

…

Dorothea let out a sigh of relief as the class entered the bottom level of Conand Tower, taking a moment to wring out her hair. The rain had begun pouring down by then and the students were now soaking wet.

As the students went about preparing themselves for battle, Dorothea walked over toward Byleth, who was standing guard at one of the archways that led up the tower.

"Professor, can I ask you for a favor?" Dorothea asked.

"What is it?"

"You see, Claude told me that Miklan was able to use the Lance of Ruin despite that he doesn't have a Crest. Doesn't that seem weird? I thought those without Crests couldn't use them."

Byleth could only nod to this. She didn't have much knowledge on the subject yet, despite now being in possession of the Sword of the Creator. It was difficult to find any reading material on the matter in the monastery library.

"So, I was wondering… Do you think you could let me hold the Sword of the Creator? Just for a second?"

Byleth was about to say something when Sothis' voice chimed in her head, her tone one of uncharacteristic urgency.

"Do not let her touch it!" Sothis snapped.

"Huh? Why?" Byleth asked, both as a question to Dorothea and to Sothis.

"I was just curious, that's all," said the singer, her hand outstretched to grasp at the pommel of the blade.

At the same time, the invisible green-haired girl said, "I am not certain myself, but I have this feeling… A feeling something terrible would happen if you let her hold that sword. You must refuse her in this."

Before Byleth could do anything, however, a gauntlet-clad hand abruptly grabbed Dorothea by the wrist, eliciting a gasp from her lips.

Dorothea and Byleth turned to see Catherine as the swordmaster said crossly, "What do you think you're doing?"

"W-Wha? Catherine, I was just–"

"Those without Crests are forbidden from so much as touching one of the Heroes' Relics. You should know that."

"No need to be so prickly about it. I wasn't going to use it, I just wanted to look at it."

"You can do that with your eyes, not your hands." Then, turning to look at the other students, Catherine said, "That goes for the rest of you! No one except Sylvain takes back the Lance of Ruin. Is that clear?"

"Oh come on, Catherine. What's the worst that could happen?"

To her surprise, Catherine's grip on her wrist tightened for a moment, making Dorothea wince in pain.

"I'm telling you this for your own good. Don't get any funny ideas, understand?"

"Nnh, alright, alright! I won't touch it."

With that, Catherine released her grip, leaving Dorothea to nurse her wrist as she walked off to converse with Gilbert, and leaving Byleth to ponder why the Crusader was so protective of the Heroes' Relics.

* * *

_Is it weird having Edelgard and Dimitri interact so much? Am I not including Claude enough in all this?_

_And yes, I kinda made Catherine a jerk in this, but we all know why._


	23. The Tower of Black Winds

_This battle's gonna take more than one part, much like how this story battle in-game is kinda long._

* * *

**Chapter 23 – The Tower of Black Winds (Verdant Rain Moon)**

An arrow whizzed by Byleth's head as she dodged to the side, allowing Bernadetta's shot to fly straight into the left eye of one of the thieves, putting him down instantly. The timid girl made a small gasp of surprise that she had scored a hit.

"Got him… I got him!" she shouted with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

"Nice shot, Bern!" said Dorothea as she hid behind a broken pillar.

"Thanks, I – EEK!"

Bernadetta's self-praise was short-lived as a retaliatory arrow narrowly missed her leg, making her spring away from it in terror. Dorothea sighed at this; some things would never change, it seemed.

So far, the students had made considerable progress through Conand Tower. Many thieves had already succumbed to their efforts, with no casualties on the students' end. There was still a way to go, though, and Dorothea could hear the sound of many footsteps above them as they advanced. The bulk of the thieves were moving to meet them further ahead.

At the front of the students' column, Gilbert, Edelgard and Dedue held up their tall tower shields as they pushed the line forward. Arrows and javelins continually bounced off their sturdy defense. Whenever one of the thieves moved to try and attack at close range, they would be swiftly countered by one of the others. The whole class moved in tandem, advancing forward in a manner that the thieves couldn't hold back.

Then, as the class neared a collapsed opening in the side of the tower, Ingrid flew up to the opening on the back of her Pegasus, Celdia.

"Professor Eisner!" Ingrid shouted. "There's another group of thieves heading up the tower behind us! Looks like they were coming back from a raid!"

This put a damper on the students' spirits. If this reinforcing group was not dealt with, they were sure to be caught in a pincer attack.

Before Byleth could say anything, Catherine shouted, "I'll handle them!" Then, pointing to a group that included Caspar, Raphael, Ignatz, Ferdinand, Petra, and Mercedes, she ordered, "All of you, come with me!"

Giving affirmative nods, the group followed Catherine as she made her way back down the tower. Mercedes stopped for a moment, though, as Annette briefly gripped her arm.

"Be careful, Mercie," said Annette.

"Don't worry about me, Annie," Mercedes replied. "We'll be back before you know it."

Mercedes then took off after Catherine's group, leaving the rest to continue their march up the tower. Ingrid flew off as well to support the others from outside.

A minute later, however, Gilbert frowned as he said, "Something is not right."

"What do you mean?" asked Dedue.

"We should have met more resistance by now. It feels like…"

At that moment, Felix whipped around to a pair of nearby doors that led into one of the tower's storerooms. Immediately as he did, the doors burst open as a hidden group of four thieves attacked, right into the middle of the students' formation.

"AMBUSH!" Felix shouted, rushing to meet the lead thief with his blade.

The thief smirked as he ducked down, revealing an archer behind him with her bow drawn and aimed right at Felix.

Felix didn't even have time to react before the whip-like Sword of the Creator shot past him and pierced into the archer's clavicle. She screamed as she released her arrow, which still flew at Felix. The heir of Fraldarius hissed in pain as the arrow was embedded in his left shoulder, but he continued his attack, slashing his sword to cut through the first thief's stunned face.

"Why you…!" shouted another thief behind the first two as he raised his own crude blade.

This thief too was intercepted as a javelin thrown by Sylvain impaled him through the chest. Clenching his shoulder as he ripped out the arrow, Felix did not have to look back to know Sylvain was smirking at this. The fourth thief who sprung from the storeroom was met by Lorenz's lance to his stomach.

"A paltry attempt," Lorenz said pompously.

But then, a chorus of shouting dropped the smiles on Sylvain's and Lorenz's faces as they turned back to the hall the group had been advancing down. Gilbert and Dedue immediately turned in the direction of the shouts to see several dozens of thieves and rogues charging at them, a disorganized mob that threatened to run them all down through sheer weight of numbers.

"INCOMING!" shouted Leonie as she hastily drew her bow and fired an arrow at the approaching mob, wounding one of the thieves.

Dorothea went wide-eyed upon seeing the approaching mob. She hadn't expected there to be so many thieves, nor had she expected such a concentrated attack. Claude, Ashe and Bernadetta also fired their own arrows at the thieves, but this did nothing to slow them down.

"Dorothea, come on!" shouted Byleth as she quickly tugged on the diva's shoulder.

Though initially surprised, Dorothea quickly followed Byleth as the teacher sheathed the Sword of the Creator and began to channel her Mana. Dorothea had to remind herself that Byleth had been learning Anima magic from Hanneman, and so she began readying her own spell. To her sides, Annette and Lysithea also began preparing their own magic. But as she looked back at the mob, Dorothea knew their individual spells weren't going to cut it. They needed something more.

Before Dorothea could ask, Byleth said, "Channel your power to Lysithea, now!"

It clicked in for Dorothea what Byleth was intending. Combining the Mana of numerous spellcasters allowed for the unleashing of much more potent sorcery than could be achieved by any one spellcaster. And Lysithea was by far the best mage in their group; she would be able to wield the most devastating spells.

Dorothea turned to Lysithea and began to feed her Mana to the white-haired fifteen-year-old while Byleth and Annette did the same. As they did, Lysithea's pink eyes began to glow as a Crest manifested over her body, the Major Crest of Gloucester. She extended her hands forward, black magical energy crackling from her fingertips.

In an echoing voice, Lysithea shouted, "YOU'RE ALL IRRELEVANT!" as she released Hades Ω, the most powerful Dark spell known in Fódlan.

A spiraling pillar of black flame formed in front of Gilbert and Dedue and careened at the approaching mob, which began to skid to a halt as they saw their impending doom. The thieves spun around and began scrambling to escape the spell, but it approached far too rapidly. Screams and cries of agony replaced the shouts for battle as the whole mob was consumed by dark magic.

Lysithea panted loudly as Dorothea looked upon the results of the spell. Over half the thieves had been killed by the spell, with only a few crawling away from the carnage, and none were left able to stand. The sight was unnerving to the opera star.

Dorothea then looked back at Lysithea as she said, "That was… um…" She couldn't find the words to finish her statement.

Then, just as Lysithea looked like she was going to retort, she winced loudly in pain as her legs failed her and she fell backward right into Edelgard's arms. In concern, Dorothea rushed over and knelt next to Edelgard.

"Lysithea, are you okay?" Dorothea asked with concern.

Edelgard placed a hand to the young mage's forehead as the girl seemed to break out in a cold sweat. Dorothea realized the spell must have taken a lot out of her.

"She'll be alright," said Edelgard. "She just needs time to recover. Channeling that much Mana through her body is not without its risks."

Dorothea nodded at this. Though combining Mana was a good way to produce powerful spells, the one casting the spell had to shoulder most of the burden.

The diva turned back to the others. Dimitri and Leonie had taken it upon themselves to finish off the wounded thieves. She knew not to stop them; the thieves were probably going to die even if they did nothing. Killing them quickly would be a mercy.

"We'll hold here for a moment," said Byleth. "Tend to the wounded."

"We should keep moving," said Felix. "The remaining thieves aren't going to wait for us to–"

"We hold, Felix," Byleth interrupted sternly. "That's an order."

Felix was about to protest again when Sylvain swept in front of him and said, "Hey, Miklan's not going anywhere. Besides, that looks like it hurts."

Felix scowled as he held his still-bleeding shoulder. "I'll be fine," he hissed.

Dorothea took this moment to step up to the young swordsman and said, "I'll be the judge of that. Hold still."

Looking at Felix's shoulder, Dorothea channeled her magic. To Felix's surprise, green lights began to form around his shoulder, healing his wound.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to heal," Felix said to Dorothea.

"I've been learning," Dorothea replied. Finishing her work, she then said, "That's better."

"Alright then, let's get moving."

Felix readied his sword as he stepped away from Dorothea, who then stopped him with a loud "Ahem!" The swordsman turned around to see Dorothea glaring at him with her hands on her shapely hips.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Felix?" Dorothea said crossly.

After a moment of hesitation, Felix sighed loudly and said, "Thank you."

Coyly, Dorothea then said, "Mmhmm…? Thank you for…?"

"Don't push your luck, woman. Let's go."

Deciding she wouldn't get any more gratitude out of Felix, Dorothea allowed him to head to the front of the students' column alongside Edelgard and Dedue. Turning, she looked at Byleth as the teacher looked down at her pocket watch.

The singer strode up to Byleth as she asked, "Everything alright?"

Byleth did not answer but nodded affirmatively.

"Well, whenever you're ready," said Dorothea.

Byleth did her best not to sigh in relief as Dorothea went over to talk to Edelgard. Unknown to the singer, the ambush would have ended far worse for Felix had it not been for Sothis' power. Byleth was relieved that her strike had saved the boy from a premature death, but she still felt she could have done better in that circumstance.

"Do you always fret like this when things don't go your way?" asked Sothis. "The boy is alive and that is what matters most."

Byleth did not move or speak, but Sothis could read her thoughts.

"Slowly but surely, you learn the limitations of my power. Just because I grant you the ability to turn back the sands of time does not mean you can be careless with it. And I suspect you shall need it again when you find this Miklan."

With that, Sothis went silent. Byleth was a little relieved that she had chosen to be quiet. The green-haired girl liked to distract her at the worst times, and she didn't need such a distraction in the middle of a battle.

* * *

_Dorothea's dynamic with Felix is going to be present again in the future, just to note. But no, there won't be any romance between them; Felix has Annette, after all._

_Oh, and who here spots the subtle FE manga reference I made?_


	24. The Gautier Inheritance

_And now for the scene that starts the darker parts of Three Houses' story._

* * *

**Chapter 24 – The Gautier Inheritance (Verdant Rain Moon)**

Miklan snarled furiously as he heard the students continue their advance toward the command chamber at the top of Conand Tower. His men should have overrun them, but thanks to their sorcery they had nearly routed his gang. Now he and his few remaining men had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

But Miklan wasn't about to go quietly. He knew he'd never be allowed to live for stealing a Hero's Relic, but he'd be damned if he was going to give it back to House Gautier. At the very least, he planned to make these noble brats pay dearly if they wanted the lance.

Miklan turned to the weapon he had stolen, the Hero's Relic of the warrior Gautier. It was an ominous weapon, looking more like it had been crafted from bones rather than metal, but there was no doubting the power it held. Time and again it had turned back invaders from the Sreng region and other factions from the north. And even if Miklan couldn't tap into the lance's full power, it would still prove more than enough to make him a true threat.

A painful howl from one of his men prompted Miklan to grab the Lance of Ruin and turn to the entrance to the chamber. One of the thieves had just taken an axe to his chest from Dedue after failing to get past his shield. A second later, an arrow from Claude struck another thief in the chest, dropping him instantly. Miklan scowled at seeing his men being slaughtered.

And then his face turned to utter rage as he saw his younger brother among the attackers. Sylvain deflected a swing from a third thief and countered by slashing with his lance, cleaving through the thief's chest. Sylvain barely paused before he moved forward and turned his gaze to his elder brother.

"You!" Miklan snarled angrily.

"Miklan! Long time no see!" Sylvain said almost jokingly. "Gotta say, for a no-good thief, you've done well for yourself."

"What are you doing here, you Crest-bearing fool?"

Dropping his friendly tone, Sylvain answered, "I'm here for the Lance of Ruin, Miklan. Hand it over. I don't want to humiliate you, but I will."

"Hmph. Hurry up and die already!"

Miklan's response was faster than the others expected. Despite being clad in heavy armor, Miklan moved swiftly and roared as he slashed the Lance of Ruin at Sylvain. The younger Gautier leapt to the side to dodge and tried to counter with his own lance, but Miklan deflected the strike with his shield. Sylvain tried to press his attack with another strike, only to be met by Miklan trying to bash in his skull with his shield. Sylvain stumbled back but kept his footing.

Seething, Miklan said, "If not for you… If it hadn't been for you…!"

Miklan then raised the Lance of Ruin and swung it down at Sylvain, who brought up his own lance and barely blocked the strike. Sylvain's Crest shone above his head as he pushed back, forcing Miklan to briefly step backwards.

"Will you SHUT UP?!" Sylvain shouted with uncharacteristic anger. "I'm so sick and tired of hearing that! You've always blamed me for something that isn't my fault! Do you think I wanted to have this Crest?! How is it my fault that I was born with the damn thing?!"

Sylvain made another strike at Miklan, whose face suddenly curled in a grin. Sylvain immediately realized his error as Miklan swung his shield at his lance, knocking Sylvain off balance. Miklan then reversed his swing and smashed his shield right into Sylvain's body, sending the younger Gautier flying back with a yelp of pain.

"Sylvain!" shouted Dimitri.

The prince immediately rushed forward to face Miklan, but his strike was parried by the elder Gautier.

"Well, well, well," Miklan said confidently. "If it isn't His Highness. Faerghus is going to need a new heir to the throne once I'm done with you!"

Miklan continued to deflect Dimitri's attacks while Dorothea rushed over to tend to Sylvain's injuries. All around them, the other students continued their clash with Miklan's remaining rogues. Felix knocked one thief off balance, allowing Annette to blast him with a Wind spell. Edelgard made a powerful swing that smashed through another thief's sword, her axe continuing onward to cleave into the man's chest as Hubert slew another with a dark spell. Another thief was shot simultaneously by Bernadetta and Ashe, while Leonie tripped one more with her lance before stabbing him. Things were quickly going badly for Miklan's gang, but the ringleader wasn't finished yet.

Dimitri made another attempt to break Miklan's guard, swinging his lance in low. To his surprise, Miklan avoided the strike rather than blocking it and, faster than Dimitri could react, he thrust forward with the Lance of Ruin.

Everyone in the chamber stopped and looked in horror as Miklan ran the prince through his heart.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" shouted Dedue.

At the same moment, Marianne screamed in dismay at seeing the prince's doom.

And then the world literally stopped moving.

"Oh dear, I knew something like this might happen," said Sothis. "You know what to do, my friend."

Byleth would've scowled at this if she could. Sothis was being far too flippant about the situation for her liking.

The battle wound backwards. Leonie's lance exited her victim's gut as Dimitri's low strike reversed itself. Annette's Wind spell was undone. Dorothea was just about to start healing Sylvain.

It was as far back as Byleth could go.

The battle resumed. Dimitri again went to confront Miklan, who expertly blocked the prince's attacks. As she entered the room a second time, Byleth chose not to go after one of the thieves at the side of the room, as she had done before. Instead, she focused her attention on Miklan.

Byleth rushed toward the ringleader, but in doing so, the thief that had previously gone after Leonie turned his attention toward the professor. The thief rushed at Byleth, forcing her to parry a strike and then slash through the rogue's stomach. A second thief then tried to avenge his comrade, but he too was met by a quick riposte and perished as the Sword of the Creator sliced through his throat.

However, these two thieves had managed to delay Byleth's intervention. She saw Dimitri making his low strike again, and she knew she had only scant seconds before the prince would die.

The Sword of the Creator separated into its whip form, and Byleth shouted as she swung it forward, sending the blade forward like an arrow at Miklan.

Miklan was just about to skewer Dimitri when he saw the bladed whip coming at him. He swung the Lance of Ruin at the whip, narrowly deflecting the strike and giving Dimitri the chance to dodge back.

"Professor!" Dimitri said in surprise as Byleth rushed past him.

Returning her weapon to its normal form, Byleth slashed at Miklan. The ringleader blocked with his shield, but the steel made a loud wrenching sound as the Sword of the Creator cut into it, getting stuck for a second before Byleth ripped the blade out. His shield now ruined, Miklan tossed it aside and blocked another strike from Byleth with the Lance of Ruin, though the force of the blow sent him sliding back several feet.

As he skidded to a halt, Miklan looked around, then smirked and said, "Not bad for your kind… A bunch of spoiled rotten children."

Byleth said nothing and simply resumed her stance. Behind her, Dorothea had finished tending to Sylvain, so the singer had rushed up to join her teacher. Outside the tower, a bolt of lightning came crashing down, its flash briefly illuminating the chamber.

For a moment, Dorothea thought she saw something coming out of the Lance of Ruin. Something black…

"So, you think you can take the lance from me, huh?" Then, shouting angrily, Miklan said, "I'll kill you… I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YO– AAAAGH!"

Miklan suddenly made a loud yelp of pain as he looked over at the weapon in his right hand.

The Lance of Ruin was emitting an eerie red glow. And to everyone's surprise, a thick black slime-like substance was pouring out from its Crest Stone. It writhed and slithered in tendrils that began to encircle Miklan's arm.

"W-What the hell?!" Miklan said in surprise.

The ringleader attempted to push the substance away from his arm with his free hand, but upon touching it his hand was also engulfed by the slime. Rapidly, the black tendrils stretched out over his body as Miklan thrashed, trying to get the stuff off him to no avail.

Behind Byleth, Dorothea watched in horror as she said, "W-What's happening to him?"

As if on cue, Edelgard shut her eyes and said, "The fate of one who is corrupted by a Crest Stone…"

"Huh? What are you–"

Miklan's cries grew louder, prompting Dorothea to turn back to look at him. The black substance had now almost completely covered his body and was now encroaching upon his face. Miklan was now panicking and let loose an agonizing scream as the black ooze began to pour into every orifice it could find. Within seconds, the black substance had consumed him entirely.

And then it began to shift and grow. It expanded rapidly, taking a new shape as it grew. It was like a cocoon of black energy.

All around the students, the thieves began to flee in terror. The students, too awestruck by Miklan's gruesome fate, did nothing to stop them. One thief tripped and fell to the ground before the swelling black mass.

"B-Boss?" the thief said in fear.

A massive claw emerged from the shifting blob. On the other end sprouted a thick spiked tail. A scaly hind leg broke free from the black mass.

And then the cocoon completely burst open, revealing a massive lizard-like creature with skin as black as night and scales as grey as stone. A long horn emerged from its skull-like head, from which a pair of red eyes locked their gaze onto the cowering thief. In the center of the beast's skull was a symbol: The Crest of Gautier.

The thief shouted, "Wait, NO!" as the monster reached forward and grabbed him. The thief's scream of terror was quickly and viciously silenced as the beast's maw crunched down on the man's skull as if it were a grape. The beast then tossed aside the man's corpse, causing it to smash into one of the tower's walls in a spray of blood and mangled flesh.

Another flash of lightning outside illuminated the room, and the students got their first good look at the Black Beast that was once Miklan Anschutz Gautier.

A second later, as if to punctuate the students' terror, Dorothea screamed at the top of her lungs.

* * *

_Ah yes, the scene that gave me such Berserk vibes. You have to admit, the Crest Stones are kinda like Behelits in some way._


	25. Black Beast

_Time for our first beast battle of the story!_

* * *

**Chapter 25 – Black Beast (Verdant Rain Moon)**

Byleth knew there was only one command she could give.

"Run… RUN!"

Immediately as she shouted, the Black Beast reared up on its hind legs and howled. And then, just as the students whirled around to flee, the beast charged after them, smashing through pillars of stone as it advanced. The roof of Conand Tower began to crumble as the students fled for their lives from the Black Beast.

Dorothea made a loud shriek as Byleth yanked her back, causing the diva to narrowly avoid being crushed by falling debris.

Releasing her grip, Byleth shouted, "Keep moving!"

Dorothea resumed her run when another shriek caught their attention. Byleth and Dorothea whipped their heads around to see Marianne had just fallen to the ground after tripping on a fallen piece of wood. Before the girl could even move, more debris fell from above, trapping her leg under a pile of fallen planks.

"MARIANNE!" shouted Dorothea.

The blue-haired healer tried to pull her leg free for a moment, but then the sound of the Black Beast's snarling made her turn back to her approaching doom. The Black Beast's red eyes were fixated on her as saliva dripped from its twisted maw. It reached out a massive claw toward her just as Byleth broke into a run to try and save the girl, but another load of falling debris broke off Byleth's rush. She knew she wouldn't be in time to save the pale girl.

Then, as Marianne let out another scream of terror, a wall of steel and orange hair stepped before her. Gilbert swung his axe overhead and cut into the monster's hand. The beast recoiled in pain, though the blow had done little real damage.

Gilbert then shouted, "Begone, beast! On my honor as a knight, you will not pass!"

"Father!" Annette yelped as she skidded to a halt.

With a fell growl, the Black Beast slashed one of its claws at Gilbert, meeting his shield with a blow that made even the veteran knight stagger. Behind him, Dimitri rushed over to Marianne and began to lift the boards covering the girl's leg.

"Hang on, Marianne!" said Dimitri. "I'll get you out of here!"

"D-Dimitri…" the girl said in a whisper. Then, as Gilbert barely blocked a second blow from the Black Beast, Marianne shrieked again, as this blow ended up ripping Gilbert's shield from his arm.

Gilbert, realizing he could not hold out much longer, gripped his axe with both hands and made a defiant shout as he met the Black Beast's next strike with his axe. But this time, the axe proved unable to match the monster's blow. The Black Beast's claw broke the steel weapon and continued onward to slash into Gilbert's chest. The sheer force of the strike sent Gilbert flying back, smashing him into a pile of crates.

"FATHER!" Annette screamed in horror.

The orange-haired girl rushed to try and aid her father as the dust settled, revealing Gilbert covered in his own blood. The knight had lost consciousness, his armor the only thing that had spared him from being cleaved in half.

"Father! Wake up, Father! FATHER!" Annette continued to cry.

At the same time, the Black Beast turned its attention back to Marianne and Dimitri, but before it could make another move, the Sword of the Creator lashed it across its left flank. This evidently was far more effective than Gilbert's axe had been, for it left a noticeable gash on the creature's hide. The Black Beast howled in pain before furiously turning to Byleth. As it faced her, a bolt of lightning from Dorothea surged forth and hit the monster, but it barely seemed to acknowledge the spell.

As Dorothea stood in shock at her failed attack, Byleth grimaced. She had just tried to activate the Divine Pulse again, but nothing had happened. Her mind raced. What was Sothis waiting for?

"That is just it, my friend," Sothis said in response. "You already used it to save that boy from certain death; I cannot use it again so soon. Believe me, I wish I could."

The realization would've left anyone else in despair, but Byleth maintained her composure. She knew she had to act fast, or the Black Beast was sure to tear them all to shreds. She glanced to her side, seeing that the others had stopped their retreat upon seeing Byleth had halted. She wanted to scream at them to keep moving, but she knew if she did that Dimitri, Marianne, Gilbert and Annette would all be doomed.

"I suppose there's nothing for it," said Sothis. "If you seek to prevail here, do as I tell you and fight!"

Immediately Byleth began to shout orders. "Dedue, Edelgard, keep it distracted! Claude, Leonie, Ashe, aim for its head! Everyone else surround it! Bernadetta, find Catherine, NOW!"

The class moved in unison as the Black Beast roared again. Edelgard and Dedue both shouted as they rushed forward with their shields while the archers pelted the beast's face with arrows. Felix, Hilda, Sylvain and Lorenz all moved to try and get around the beast, with Lorenz making a loud yelp as the monster's tail nearly flattened him. At the same time, Lysithea and Hubert both launched their Miasma Δ spells at the monster while Linhardt and Annette attacked with blasts of Wind, their spells unfortunately having a limited effect. And though Bernadetta was quick to flee, Byleth knew she would get to Catherine faster than anyone else could.

All they had to do was hold out until the Crusader could get to them.

Dorothea, meanwhile, was readying another Thunder spell when the Black Beast reared back and swatted Dedue aside, the Duscuri man landing in a heap. The diva saw wisps of black smoke starting to ebb from the monster's mouth.

Edelgard was the first to pick up on what it meant, and shouted at Byleth and Dorothea, "LOOK OUT!"

Byleth moved just in time, tackling Dorothea to the side as the Black Beast breathed a cone of black smog at them. Wood rotted and the stones of the tower turned black as they were engulfed by the beast's breath. The breath attack narrowly missed consuming the two women, who lay next to the line of decay caused by the monster.

Dorothea made a loud wheeze as she pushed herself back up and saw the decayed line where she had just been.

Without any of her usual sass, Dorothea said, "That was too close."

Byleth sprung to her feet as the Black Beast whirled around and nearly took Hilda's head off with a swipe from its claws. Another arrow from Leonie hit the monster's head, but uselessly broke against one of its scales.

"Dammit!" Leonie hissed. "This thing won't give up!"

A blast of Wind from Annette struck the Black Beast's hind leg, but again it ignored the spell. The Black Beast was about to strike again at Sylvain when a loud whiny and a flourish of white feathers announced the arrival of Ingrid and her Pegasus. Ingrid, not even taking the time to ask what was going on, attempted to stab the Black Beast's right shoulder, but the scales of the monster turned away her lance. The monster swung around to try and swat Ingrid out of the air, but Ingrid pulled back on Celdia's reins and the Pegasus flitted away from the beast's reach.

Byleth scowled as she said, "This isn't working…"

"Professor, what are we going to do?" asked Dorothea. "We can't hold that thing off much longer!"

Byleth said nothing, too busy listening to Sothis in her head.

"Your attacks are far too uncoordinated!" Sothis snapped. "You think simply surrounding the beast and trying to confuse it will avail you? No! You must strike it all at once, from all sides! Do not give any quarter!"

Knowing she would only have one chance of making it work, Byleth shouted, "Everyone, we need to hit it all at once! Don't just attack it one by one!"

"All at once?" Hubert asked bemusedly. "That's quite the risk."

"There's nothing else for it," said Claude as he readied another arrow. "Just say the word, Teach!"

"We'll help too!" shouted Marianne, having been freed from the debris and now standing next to Dimitri, who readied his lance.

"By your command, Professor!" added the prince.

The others were quick to give their affirmation to the plan. The Black Beast roared again as Felix dodged back to avoid another strike.

"We need a distraction," said Felix. "It'll never give us a chance if it keeps thrashing about."

Then, to Felix's surprise, Sylvain said, "Leave that to me."

Sylvain rushed forward, causing Felix to shout, "Wait, Sylvain! Are you daft?!"

"Sylvain, what are you doing?!" shouted Ingrid.

Ignoring his two friends, Sylvain shouted, "Hey, Miklan! Over here! You want me? Come and get me!"

The Black Beast whirled around to stare down at Sylvain, its face contorting in what seemed to be pure rage as though some part of Miklan's mind remained.

"That's right, Miklan! You've wanted to kill me for years now! Here's your chance!"

Furiously, the Black Beast raised both claws, ready to crush Sylvain beneath it.

As it did, it let out a loud growl that almost sounded like it was saying "DIIIEEEEEE!"

Byleth saw their moment. "NOW!"

All at once, the students unleashed their attack. Annette, Linhardt, Hubert, Lysithea and Marianne all launched spells at the beast's chest. Claude, Ashe and Leonie fired arrows at its throat. Hilda, Felix, Ingrid, Lorenz, Edelgard, Dimitri and Dedue all stabbed and slashed at the creature's hind legs.

And as the beast reeled from the combined assault, Byleth extended the Sword of the Creator into its whip form and, with a shout, made a hard slash at the Black Beast's chest. The sword cleaved through the outer scales and cut open a large gash from the beast's shoulder to its pelvis. The Black Beast howled in agony at this wound.

Byleth then whipped back to Dorothea and shouted, "Dorothea, now!"

Dorothea nodded as she readied her next spell, one far stronger than her usual Thunder incantation. This one was far more potent yet would also demand more of her Mana. But power was what she needed right now. Everyone was counting on her.

She thrust her hands out and shouted, "TAKE THIS!" as her Thoron spell surged out and struck the Black Beast's open wounds with powerful bolts of lightning. The beast writhed and thrashed its head in pain, breaking its horn as it struck its head against the side of the tower.

As soon as she had finished her spell, Dorothea found herself gasping for breath. She had used far more of her Mana than she had intended. She sunk to her knees as she asked, "Did we–"

Her question was cut short as the Black Beast showed it was still in the fight by pounding its fists against the floor of the tower. The stones began to crack and shudder as the walls started to crumble around them.

"It's going to bring the whole place down!" shouted Ingrid.

Byleth was just about to give the order to renew their attack when a familiar boisterous woman shouted, "Then let's kill it before it kills us!"

Dorothea, still exhausted as she tried to stand back up, turned to see Catherine had returned. The others were close behind her, with Mercedes rushing over to tend to Gilbert.

"Professor! Let's finish this!" shouted Catherine as she rushed at the Black Beast.

Byleth retracted the Sword of the Creator to its normal state as she charged forward after Catherine. The two swordswomen neared the Black Beast as, in its rage, it smashed the floor once again, widening the cracks in the tower. Dorothea knew the floor wasn't going to last.

Catherine and Byleth both released a loud yell as the Black Beast raised its arms again, about to break the floor beneath it with one last smash. The two leapt up at the Black Beast, slashing Thunderbrand and the Sword of the Creator at the creature's thick neck.

The Hero's Relics carved through the Black Beast's flesh and bone like a hot knife going through soft butter.

The Black Beast's head flew from its shoulders, releasing a final guttural howl as it spiraled through the air and crashed down only a few feet from Dorothea.

The impact was all it took for the side of the tower to break beneath the diva's feet.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Dorothea heard Edelgard shout her name as she no longer felt the ground beneath her. She saw everyone looking upon her in muted horror, seeing her about to fall to certain death. She saw Byleth rushing toward her, too far to catch her.

And then, as she began to plummet, she let loose a scream of absolute terror.

* * *

_OH NOES! A CLIFFHANGER!_


	26. Plummet

_Oh noes! How will Byleth save Dorothea this time?_

* * *

**Chapter 26 – Plummet (Verdant Rain Moon)**

The wind and rain whipped through Dorothea's long brown hair as she fell from Conand Tower, but neither could drown out her screaming. She knew she was going to die, despite how desperately she wanted to live. And even though the rain thoroughly soaked her as she fell, she could acutely feel the tears streaming from her eyes.

In her panic, she did not see that Byleth had dove off the side of Conand Tower. It was not until Byleth had grabbed the girl mid-fall that Dorothea realized it. Yet Byleth's grasp did nothing to stop her screams.

"Grab onto me!" Byleth shouted.

Without even thinking, Dorothea complied, gripping the professor as tightly as she could. Byleth then spun the two around in mid-air and swung her right arm, still grasping the Sword of the Creator, at a nearby barred window. The sword lashed out in its whip form, its segments flying precisely through the metal bars and, as if alive, the blade wrapped itself around two of the bars, locking in place as the blade went taut.

Dorothea stopped screaming as her fall was abruptly halted. At the same moment, Byleth let out an agonizing shriek of her own as her arm nearly popped out of its socket. The teacher held her blade as tightly as she could, despite that her arm felt like it was about to be ripped off.

Still in a panic, it took Dorothea a few seconds to realize that she was not dead. Slowly she opened her eyes and found herself looking into Byleth's gaze. She bore a look of pain across her normally stoic face. It was all it took to make Dorothea realize how dire their situation was.

"P-Professor?" Dorothea whimpered.

"Don't—URGH—thank me just yet…!"

Doing her best to ignore the pain, Byleth glanced around at their surroundings. The two were dangling from Conand Tower, still around a hundred feet off the ground. The sound of crumbling bricks caught Byleth's attention, so she looked up briefly to see the window bars that were holding them were starting to come loose. They didn't have much time.

She looked down below. Her eye caught the sight of a small balcony nearby, some twenty feet below them, but about eight feet off to the side. It was their one chance to survive.

"Dorothea, listen to me," Byleth said quickly. "We're going to swing ourselves over toward that balcony below us. It's our one chance to – NNGH!"

The two suddenly lurched as one of the bars above broke, leaving the Sword of the Creator only clinging to one last bar. Dorothea let out another terrified shriek at the brief drop.

Byleth knew they were out of time.

Nearly hysterical, Dorothea shrieked, "P-Professor, I – I don't want to die! I don't want to die like this!"

"Dorothea, I promise you, you're not going to die! We're not going to die!"

As Byleth said this, she began to swing her long curvy legs. The two began to swing back and forth as they dangled from the barred window, slowly gaining momentum. But with each swing they made, the remaining bar that held them up became more and more unstable. Soon it would break.

"Hold on, Dorothea! We're almost there. Get ready! One! Two! THRE–"

As Byleth shouted, the bar finally gave way, and the Sword of the Creator came loose from its anchor, slightly sooner than Byleth had expected. Dorothea let out another ear-splitting scream as the two plummeted. Byleth looked down at the balcony as the two rapidly descended toward it. They were going to land on it, but just barely.

Byleth let out another howl of pain as her feet struck the balcony, taking the full force of the impact. The jolt caused Dorothea to lose her grip on Byleth, and she stumbled back as her feet touched the stones, falling onto her rear.

But as Dorothea landed safely, the stones beneath Byleth's feet, right at the edge of the balcony, broke away.

Byleth let out a yelp of surprise. Reflexively her hand shot out and grabbed for the edge of the balcony, her fingers barely catching onto the crumbling side.

And then, a few seconds later, the stone she held onto broke off as well.

"PROFESSOR!" Dorothea shrieked as she lunged forward and grabbed Byleth's arm.

Byleth yelped again as Dorothea caught her, her arms searing with pain as she found herself dangling from the singer's grip. Despite her prior panic, Dorothea slowly began to pull Byleth back up onto the balcony. It took a full minute of exertion from the singer before Byleth was finally up on solid ground.

The two couldn't find anything to say to what had just happened for a good two minutes. Byleth panted in exhaustion as she lay on her side, while Dorothea was on her knees as she sobbed in relief. The pouring rain soaked them through their clothes, which clung to their figures, but neither of them was in any state of mind to care.

Then Byleth pushed herself up as she asked, "Dorothea, are you alright?"

Breathing heavily in relief for a moment, Dorothea then said, "Let's… let's never do that again, okay?"

"I concur with her, you buffoon!" Sothis shouted, startling Byleth. Byleth managed to mask her surprise with a loud wince as pain shot through her limbs. She was surprised that she hadn't broken her legs from the landing.

"You're hurt!" Dorothea said in concern as she raised her hands and began to channel her Mana.

The pain in Byleth's arms and legs began to dim as Dorothea's healing magic took effect. It wasn't completely subsiding, but at least it didn't feel like Byleth's limbs were about to fall off.

"Do you have absolutely no concern at all for your well-being, or my own?!" Sothis continued to rant. "You knew I could not yet reverse time for you and yet you still leapt like a lunatic after that girl! Were you dropped on your head as an infant?!"

Byleth did her best to ignore Sothis as she said to Dorothea, "You've been practicing…"

"Yeah, I have," Dorothea replied. "Turns out I have a knack for it. I mean, I'm nowhere near as good as Mercedes or Manuela, but still…" Finishing her spell, Dorothea then asked, "That feel any better?"

"Yes, it does. Thank you."

Dorothea made a short smile to this, but then she turned her gaze down to her knees and, despite being soaking wet, Byleth could see her crying.

"Why did you do that…?" the singer asked somberly.

"What…?"

"Why did you jump after me like that? You almost got yourself killed for my sake! Why?"

"Are you listening at all?!" Sothis shouted. She clearly did not like being ignored. "Why in the world did you do something so STUPID?!"

Byleth was silent for a moment as she thought of what to say. Then, in a way that she could answer both Dorothea and Sothis, she said, "Because I wanted to save you, Dorothea."

Dorothea looked up at Byleth, disbelief written across her face. Sothis, in the meantime, was dumbstruck by Byleth's simple answer.

"But… why me?" asked Dorothea. "Why would you risk your life like that for someone like me? If I died, no one would've cared! I'm just some girl from the streets! I'm not some important noble or royalty or anything! I–"

Dorothea stopped as, suddenly, Byleth clasped her hands in her own. When the singer looked up at the professor's face, her own lit up in surprise.

It was the first time Dorothea had ever seen Byleth smile.

And then another voice interrupted them. "Dorothea! Professor!"

The two of them turned to the balcony's entrance as the sound of footsteps rapidly approached them. Seconds later, Edelgard came rushing into view, her face one of uncharacteristic worry that turned to relief upon seeing the pair alive.

"You were saying?" said Byleth.

"Thank goodness you're both alright!" Edelgard said as she ran up and knelt next to them. "When you went over the side, we all thought you were done for."

Claude then strode into view as he said, "Gotta admit, Teach, you diving over the side like that is a kind of crazy I wouldn't have expected from you."

"You can say that again!" Leonie interjected, having been fast on Claude's heels. "Why'd you go and do something like that?! Not that I'm not glad you and Dorothea are alright, but what would I have told Captain Jeralt if you had–"

"Leonie, that is quite enough," said Lorenz, earning a glare from the Sauin hunter.

"Yeah, Leonie," added Caspar. "You should be thankful that everything worked out!"

"I am in agreeance with Caspar," said Petra. "I have gratitude that you… I mean, I am gladdened that you both unhurt."

Then, just as Leonie was about to chime in again, a loud wailing cry came from the group as Bernadetta rushed forward and threw herself at Dorothea, who caught the purple-haired girl.

"D-D-D-Dorothea, you're aliiiiive!" Bernadetta cried. "I thought you w-were a goner!"

"B-Bern, I–"

"Pleaaaaase, don't ever scare me like that agaiiiiin!"

Still on her knees as Bernadetta cried into her shoulder, Dorothea watched as the others came running down the tower, each one with words of thanks and relief at their survival. The only exceptions were Dedue and Felix, who were busy carrying a wounded Gilbert on their shoulders, yet their expressions showed that they too were glad that Dorothea and Byleth had survived.

Stunned, Dorothea could only stammer, "I… I…"

The others' words stung Dorothea's heart with pangs of regret at her words. How could she have been so foolish to think no one would have mourned her if she had perished?

"I'm sorry…" Dorothea sobbed as she buried her face on Bernadetta's shoulder. "I'm so sorry I…!"

She couldn't even finish her apology before she broke down in tears.

* * *

_Byleth had to get that Smash move from somewhere, right?_

_Also, I'm sure people are going to raise eyebrows to how tall I made Conand Tower and how far Byleth and Dorothea fell (even a 15 foot fall height can be deadly in real life). Try to suspend your disbelief with it, and remember that Byleth is_ _technically superhuman._


	27. The Good and Bad

_I KNOW I'm gonna get some skeptics from this one._

* * *

**Chapter 27 – The Good and Bad (Verdant Rain Moon)**

"I have already heard Catherine's report about what happened," Rhea said as Byleth and the leaders of the three houses stood before the archbishop. "See to it that you all keep what transpired at the tower to yourselves. People would lose faith in the nobility should rumors spread of one using a Relic and transforming into a monster. All regions of Fódlan would fall into chaos. We must avoid that at all costs. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, of course, Rhea," said Byleth, with Claude, Dimitri and Edelgard nodding. "But I must ask, why did that happen to Miklan?"

"His transformation into a Black Beast was nothing short of divine punishment from the goddess. Punishment for someone arrogant and foolish enough to use a Hero's Relic even though they were unworthy and unqualified."

"Wait, you knew?" asked Claude.

"Of course, Claude. That is why we rushed to recover it. Sadly, we did not arrive in time."

Claude made an uncharacteristic scowl at this. Clearly, he didn't like being kept in the dark about it.

After a moment's silence, Byleth then asked, "Rhea, will I share the same fate…?"

The house leaders looked at Byleth with concern. The teacher had an unusual look of worry across her normally calm face.

With a reassuring smile, Rhea answered, "If someone without a Crest were to wield the Relic you possess, they would likely meet the same fate as Miklan. You, however, have been chosen. You are worthy of wielding the Sword of the Creator, so there is no need to worry."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Now then, the church will formally return the Lance of Ruin to House Gautier."

"Pardon, Lady Rhea," interrupted Dimitri. "But Sylvain told me that he received a message from his father. Margrave Gautier has given his direct approval for Sylvain to take possession of the Lance of Ruin."

"I see. I will permit this, but under one condition: He must never allow another to wield the Lance of Ruin. His brother clearly demonstrated what fate awaits those who break that restriction."

"Of course, Lady Rhea. I am certain he will comply with your terms."

"Good. You are all dismissed." Rhea began to head for her office, but after a few steps she stopped and added, "And Professor, please speak with Miss Arnault about her habit of eavesdropping on our meetings."

The sound of a sharp, surprised breath caught everyone's attention, and they turned to see a flash of wavy brown hair behind a pillar. Edelgard and Dimitri gave looks of exasperation while Claude made an amused smirk as Byleth walked over to the pillar. Taking Dorothea by the shoulder, Byleth led the singer out of the chamber with the house leaders in tow.

…

"Professor, I'm sorry," stammered Dorothea. "I was just curious of what Rhea knew about the whole thing. I–"

"Dorothea, if Rhea was going to punish you, I think she would have already done so," said Byleth. "But you can't just keep listening in on private meetings."

"Or you need to do a better job of not getting caught," Claude said jokingly, something that earned him a glare from both Edelgard and Dimitri. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got something I need to look into."

Claude strode off as Dimitri said, "I understand if you wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth, Dorothea, but this isn't something you can go around gossiping to everyone else."

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Dorothea. "If I went around saying that the Hero's Relics were turning people into monsters, I'd have people trying to kill me for heresy." Then, more somberly, she added, "And I think I've had enough near-death encounters for now…"

The others nodded in silence.

Dimitri then said, "I was just thinking about something."

"Yes? What is it?" asked Byleth.

"The possession of Relics and Crests has been highly valued in Faerghus since ancient times. It's far from uncommon for someone to lose their ability to lead their house because they don't bear a Crest. Just like Miklan. It happened to my uncle as well. The eldest child of the king, and yet he never ascended to the throne. All families whose bloodlines carry Crests of the 10 Elites are much the same. But House Gautier takes it a step further, and absolutely requires an heir who possesses a Crest."

"Why House Gautier in particular?" asked Dorothea.

"To that house, the power of Crests is a necessity, not a luxury. House Gautier holds the most northern territory in the Kingdom, and they have fought with the people to the north for many years. The head of that house is responsible for protecting that territory from fearsome invaders, whom they keep at bay with the power of Crests and Relics. In exchange for that responsibility, they are granted special privileges within the Kingdom."

"So, just because Miklan didn't have a Crest, he got thrown out like trash? How in the world is that fair?"

"It isn't," answered Edelgard. "If you think about it, even without a Crest, Miklan was still a masterful thief and gathered enough ruffians to capture a fortress. Right or wrong, he was a gifted leader. He could have been a great asset to Fódlan, but instead he was cast aside. What a waste."

Dorothea stared down at the ground as Edelgard said this.

"It's true that a Crest can increase your magical abilities and allow you to wield the full might of a Hero's Relic. But one cannot measure a leader's worth based solely on whether or not they bear a Crest. There are plenty of talented people in this world without one."

"I concur, Edelgard," said Dimitri. "I too believe that Margrave Gautier was wrong to disinherit Miklan because he did not bear a Crest. Still, there is always a reason for why such customs stand the test of time. They are considered blessings from the goddess, after all, necessary to maintain order in Fódlan."

"Blessings?" Dorothea blurted out in a scornful tone. "You call them 'blessings'?! How are they blessings when they leave so many in the gutter? Only a select few ever get a Crest, and we elevate those people and let them rule the world, even if they're the worst possible people for the job, while everyone else is treated like… like scum! Crests are no blessing; they're a curse!"

"Dorothea!" Edelgard hissed with concern, worried that someone would overhear them.

Realizing how high she had raised her voice, Dorothea simmered down and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be saying such things in a place like this. And just a minute ago I was talking about not wanting to be called a heretic."

Dorothea turned away from the others as she wrapped her left hand around her right elbow, her breasts resting atop her arm. The others could tell the topic wasn't something she liked.

Byleth then asked, "Dorothea, why do you hate Crests?"

"Huh?"

"I agree with you all that strength is strength, with or without a Crest. But Dorothea, you sound like you have some personal issue with them. What is it?"

Dorothea did not answer, standing still for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be asking something so–"

"No, no, Professor, it's…" Dorothea sighed loudly and then said, "You're right, I do hate them on… on a personal level. You see… my father was a noble who had an affair with one of his maids. But when I was born, and he learned I didn't have a Crest, he threw me and my mother out into the streets of Enbarr. Before long, my mother fell ill and… I was alone, left in the alleys of the Imperial capital, just trying to survive from one day to the next."

"I see," said Dimitri, though he clearly wished for Dorothea to continue.

"Then years later, after I became a singer on the stage… I met the nobleman that I think is my father. His name was Lord Eadwald."

"I've heard of him before," said Edelgard with a frown. "He's only a minor noble, but in my eyes, few others are as undeserving of their title as he is."

"He told me he'd had a child with a maid, but the child didn't have a Crest… So, he threw them both away. Those were his very words. I can't prove that he really was my father, but… I suppose it doesn't matter. He didn't know who I was, and when he flirted with me, saying he wanted me to give him a Crest-bearing child, my feelings were something beyond fury. I was dumbfounded."

The others, even Byleth, were left with expressions of utter disgust at this.

"He wasn't the only one who came to me like that, wanting to… to use me, just so they could have a chance at a Crest-bearing child. But I knew better. I knew if I ever accepted their offer, I'd be living on borrowed time. None of them cared for who I was; many didn't even see me as a person, just something to make babies for them. And only so they could have a son or daughter with one of those damned Crests that everyone seems to worship!"

Everyone was left in stunned silence at Dorothea as she clenched her fingers.

"That's why I hate Crests. That's why I hate nobles who elevate Crests above all else. Nobles like my father, or Margrave Gautier, or all the others! THEY CAN ALL JUST GO TO HELL!"

Everyone was silent at Dorothea's outburst. And again, Dorothea realized just how loud she had been. Her anger quickly dissipated, replaced by a look of fear. Surely someone had heard them. The group was silent as Byleth looked around to see if anyone had been listening to them. There was no one else in the vicinity, but this gave Dorothea no respite.

"I… I…" Dorothea stammered.

"You have every right to be angry, Dorothea," said Byleth.

"Professor Eisner?" said Dimitri, surprised by Byleth's approval of Dorothea's outburst.

Byleth shut her eyes in brief contemplation, and then asked, "Do any of you wonder what Fódlan would be like if no one put any stock in Crests?"

The three students were silent at this question for a moment, and then Edelgard answered, "Honestly, I would prefer it. Take away Crests and people would have no choice but to rise and fall by their own merits."

"That… I'd be all for it," said Dorothea. "And not just because I'd no longer have people wanting to put a Crest baby in me."

"It is a noble ideal," said Dimitri. "But I question whether it is even possible. Would it be possible to cut away something like the Crest nobility, or must we find a way to accept it anyway?"

It was a question that the four would be left pondering for hours after the conversation ended.

* * *

_I have to wonder if I'm having too many facts revealed between characters. Does Edelgard telling so much go against the plot? Am I being heavy-handed again?_


	28. Catharsis (Horsebow Moon)

_This is something I'm sure a lot of people will have wanted to see for a while. Oh, and another minion cameo._

* * *

**Chapter 28 – Catharsis (Horsebow Moon)**

Dorothea let out a short sigh as she watched Bernadetta pick out another stuffy from Anna's shop. This one was a weird-looking turtle with a bright green shell with a white underside, a yellow head and limbs and, weirdly enough, green boots of the same color as its shell. Still, Bernadetta found it cute, so who was Dorothea to argue?

The diva was here with the recluse to take her mind off things. Following the mission at Conand Tower, the students had been tasked with helping to find Flayn, Seteth's little sister, who had gone missing. Seteth was in a terrible state over his sister's disappearance, and he was certain someone had abducted her. Worse, there had been more rumors about mysterious kidnappings in town at night, with all the victims being young women. So far, no witnesses had come forth with concrete proof, so a suspect hadn't been found yet.

Of course, it was the middle of the day, so Dorothea doubted any kidnappers would be around, but it brought back unpleasant memories of Enbarr's streets.

"Thanks a bunch, Bernie," said Anna as she received her payment for the turtle stuffy. "Have a nice day!"

"Thanks so much, Anna!" Bernadetta said cheerfully as she dashed back to Dorothea.

Snapped out of her reverie, Dorothea asked, "So, that one, huh? Kinda funny looking, if you ask me."

"Oh, come on, Dorothea, it's cute! Look at those big eyes and that sturdy shell. I bet nothing would ever ruin this little guy's day."

"Uh huh…"

As the two walked out of Anna's shop, Bernadetta then asked, "Is something wrong?"

"It's just… I really hope Flayn is okay. I'm sure you've heard all of the rumors."

This made Bernadetta quiver in fear, so Dorothea immediately put on a smile to calm the girl down.

"But I'm sure the Knights will find her soon," Dorothea said reassuringly. "Come on, let's get this little guy back to your room."

Bernadetta let out a short giggle as the two made their way down the streets of town. Few of the townsfolk were around, having been scared by the rumors, but there were still enough that the streets were filled with chatter.

But as the two made their way around another corner, Dorothea noticed something.

"Huh, that's odd…" said Dorothea.

"What? What's odd?" asked Bernadetta.

"Is it just me or have we not seen any guards or knights for the past few blocks?"

Bernadetta made a short pause and then said, "N-Now that you mention it…"

Seconds later, a pair of men rounded the corner in front of the two girls some distance away. Dorothea immediately noticed that they both had blades strapped to their belts and were dressed in the same colors.

Then, Bernadetta made a short yelp of terror.

"Bern, what is it?" asked Dorothea.

"I… I recognize those men. They're in service to House Varley."

Dorothea felt a chill down her spine at these words. These men did not appear to be up to anything civil, and their eyes were squarely on the two girls. And with no guards around to witness them, it was all too clear to Dorothea what was going on.

Dorothea grabbed Bernadetta by the wrist and said, "Come on, this way!"

Bernadetta stifled a yelp as Dorothea pulled her in the opposite direction of the approaching men, and the two broke into a run. But just as they were about to reach the end of the block, they saw two more men of similar garbs dash out of hiding. Dorothea immediately turned and the pair dashed around a corner. The singer looked back and saw the men had now started running after them, confirming her fears.

Dorothea looked ahead to watch where she was going and made a loud gasp as two more House Varley goons tried to cut them off. She immediately made another turn as the townsfolk watched the chase in confusion. Dorothea knew she had to try and lose these men.

The pair made several more turns as they ran through the streets, and soon they found themselves back on the same block as Anna's shop. And then Dorothea was forced to skid to a halt as she made another loud gasp in fear. Two more House Varley goons were right in front of them. She whipped around to try and run back, but her heart sank as she saw the other men had caught up to them, and within seconds the pair had been surrounded. And to her dismay, there was no one else around to help them.

Dorothea scowled as she released Bernadetta's arm, allowing the purple-haired girl to cower behind the diva.

"W-W-What are you all doing here?" Bernadetta stammered. "Leave us alone!"

"That, my dear, is out of the question," said a pompous man's sneering voice.

Dorothea and Bernadetta whipped around to a nearby alleyway as a gaunt man strolled out of the shadows. The lean, wiry man was dressed in extravagant Imperial finery that showed his obsession with wealth. His eyes were a light gray, the same color as Bernadetta's, though his hair was jet black, as was his thin curvy mustache. He held a finely crafted crossbow in his right hand, a weapon that was normally disdained in Fódlan.

Dorothea briefly glanced at Bernadetta to see she had a look of absolute horror across her face. It took only a second for Dorothea to realize who the man was.

"F-F-F-Father!" Bernadetta squeaked. "W-W-What are you doing here?"

"Seeing to a family matter, my daughter," sneered Count Varley. "Seize them!"

Dorothea whipped her head around to see four of the House Varley goons rush up to them and, before she could act, two of them grabbed her by her slender arms.

"H-Hey! Let go of me!" Dorothea snapped. "Don't touch me, you– AAAHH!"

One of the men roughly forced Dorothea's left arm behind her back and pressed on it. The singer then made another yelp of pain as the second goon kicked her in the back of her right leg, forcing Dorothea to the ground on her knees. Meanwhile, the other two men had grabbed Bernadetta by the arms and had hoisted her off her feet even as she struggled for dear life, dropping her new stuffy. The men all laughed at seeing the two utterly helpless before them.

Count Varley strolled up to the girls as he said, "You cannot imagine my disappointment in you, Bernadetta. When I heard two weeks ago of how you had begun to associate with the commoners here, I knew I would need to put you in your place."

"W-Wait, what?" Bernadetta said in shock. "H-Have you been s-spying on me?!"

"Indeed, I have, as is my right." Turning to Dorothea, Count Varley then said, "My men told me much about how you have been socializing with this whore."

Count Varley's choice of words brought a look of both shock and rage to Dorothea's face.

"W-What did you just call me?!" Dorothea spat. "Did you just–"

Dorothea was cut off as Count Varley struck her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Be silent, you peasant scum!" Count Varley snapped. Then, turning back to Bernadetta, he said, "I thought the lesson I taught you with that pretty boy would have been enough, but it seems you are in need of a reminder of your place, and theirs!"

"No! Please, Father, don't hurt her!" Bernadetta cried. "Dorothea's been so nice to me! Please! You can't!"

Ignoring her daughter's protests, Count Varley turned to one of his subordinates and said, "I've heard this one is considered a singer. Silence this songbird's voice, permanently."

The subordinate made a loud chuckle as he drew a knife, while one of the men holding Dorothea grabbed her long locks of hair and pulled her head back. Dorothea yelped again as she was forced to expose her neck. Her eyes widened with terror at what was about to happen.

"Y-You won't get away with this!" Dorothea hissed. "When the guards find out, they'll–"

"They will do nothing," interrupted Count Varley. "The bribes I've made will see to that. You will be simply another disappearance to join in with the unscrupulous rumors that seem to be circulating this dreadful town."

"Father, please!" Bernadetta pleaded again. "Do whatever you want to me, but please, don't hurt her! Father, I'm begging you! PLEASE!"

Bernadetta then made a loud cry as Count Varley struck her.

"You will be silent, Bernadetta, as you watch my men punish this whore as she so richly deserves!"

Bernadetta's eyes began to flood with tears as the knife moved ever closer to Dorothea's throat. The knife-bearing goon made a loud chortle as he prepared to cut open the singer's neck.

And as the blade neared her, Dorothea found herself flooded by the same terrible sensation she had felt when she had fallen from Conand Tower: fear. Pure, absolute terror of her impending demise and being powerless to stop it.

Dorothea was about to try and scream when, to everyone's shock, the knife-bearing goon made a loud, frantic series of yelps as a bolt of lightning struck him from behind. As he was electrocuted, the goon's knife fell from his hand, and then he dropped to the ground, twitching violently.

As Count Varley and his men recoiled at what had just happened, a familiar woman's voice shouted, "Hey, skinny!"

Livid, Count Varley spun around as he hissed, "Who dares to–"

Another bolt of lightning flew through the air and struck down a second of Count Varley's men.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you, jerk!" shouted Anna as she held a strange wavy blade, one made from a yellow metal that crackled with electricity. "Tell your goons to get their hands off my customers!"

"A-Anna!" Bernadetta shrieked, terrified that another of her friends had gotten involved.

"You think you can order ME around, you swine?" said Count Varley. "Do you know who I am?!"

"One of the Empire's top five worst nobles. Yeah, I know all about you, Count Varley. And I'm only telling you this one more time: Leave them alone!"

Snarling in absolute fury, Count Varley raised a hand toward Anna and shouted, "Get her!"

As he said this, Dorothea made another painful yelp as the goon holding her to the ground shoved hard, forcing her to the ground before kicking her hard in the side. Dorothea shrieked as she curled her arms around her torso, certain the blow would leave a bruise.

The House Varley goons then drew their swords and rushed toward Anna, though two remained to keep Bernadetta held up. The first goon roared as he made a horizontal swing at Anna, but the merchant surprised him by backflipping over the strike. Upon landing, Anna rushed forward and jabbed the tip of her blade into the man's chest, only enough to pierce the skin. The man let out a long, jolted cry of pain as the blade electrocuted him. A second goon then approached, but Anna swiftly pulled her blade out of the first one's chest and delivered a kick that sent him crashing into the second one.

Snarling, Count Varley shouted, "What are you waiting for? KILL HER!"

Stepping over his fellows, the third goon made a quick swing at Anna, but she parried the blow and riposted, delivering a trio of shallow slashes to the man's chest before following up with a fourth swing that sent him to the ground in a bloody yet still-living heap. The fourth and second goons then attacked simultaneously, forcing Anna to jump back.

As the goons readied another attack, Anna let out a smirk as she said, "Cha-Ching!"

She thrust out her arms as she said this, her left hand with its palm flat against the blade of her sword, channeling Mana into her weapon. Just as the goons were about to reach her, the sword released a surge of lightning that zapped them both, blasting them away as they howled in pain.

But as Anna finished her attack, her smirk vanished as she saw Count Varley aiming his crossbow right at her. Rising to her feet as she clutched her side, Dorothea looked to see Count Varley about to shoot Anna and knew she wouldn't be in time to stop him.

Count Varley let out a loud yelp as, suddenly, the whip-like blade of the Sword of the Creator lashed the crossbow in two.

Anna and Count Varley looked over to see Byleth as she retracted her sword. Seconds later, Jeralt and six members of the Knights of Seiros came out from around the corner.

"Throw down your weapons and let go of the girl," Jeralt said commandingly.

After a moment of uneasy silence, the two remaining House Varley goons slowly set Bernadetta down and held their hands up in surrender as the others groaned in pain on the ground. Bernadetta scurried away as they did.

Count Varley, on the other hand, wasn't so eager to give up. With a loud growl, he broke into a run. But he barely made it two steps before Dorothea's long, curvy leg swept at his ankle and tripped him, sending him crashing to the ground. The count immediately attempted to scramble to his feet, but Dorothea stepped on his back, forcing him back down.

"You know what I hate more than cruel nobles like you?" Dorothea hissed maliciously. "Being called a whore by cruel, dirty, cowardly nobles LIKE YOU!"

As she shouted her last words, Dorothea raised her right leg and, before anyone could protest, stomped down hard on Count Varley's right arm. A loud bone-breaking snap accompanied Count Varley's howl of pain as Dorothea's kick broke the noble's arm. Bernadetta let out a loud squeal of fear as Count Varley continued to cry out in agony.

Taking a deep breath, Dorothea stepped off Count Varley's back, allowing Jeralt and the town guards to haul him and his goons away.

"That… that felt good," Dorothea gasped in satisfaction.

Biting his lip from pain, Count Varley shouted, "You'll pay for this, you whore! I will make you pay! I'll–"

A blow to the head from Jeralt silenced Count Varley, knocking the noble unconscious.

"That's enough out of you, Count," remarked Jeralt.

As Jeralt and Count Varley left their sight, Byleth walked up to Dorothea and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Dorothea answered. "Thanks to Anna, anyway." Turning to the merchant, she then said, "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

Strapping her unique sword to her belt, Anna said, "Heh, years and years of traveling, Dorothea." Then, turning to Byleth, she added, "Thanks for the help, By."

"No problem."

Then, the group heard Bernadetta let out a terrified groan. They turned to her as she said, "Oh, this is terrible! Just terrible! I'm done for! Oh, just your luck, Bernie!"

"Bern, you're fine," said Dorothea. "We're all fine. Calm down."

"No, it's not fine! Now if I ever go back home, Father's gonna kill me! AAAHHH, my life is over!"

"Then don't go back!"

To everyone's surprise, Anna said this as she strode up to Bernadetta and placed her hands on the quivering girl's shoulders.

"Don't ever go back to that jerk! You've got friends here who'd be more than happy to look after you, right?"

Bernadetta stopped sobbing for a moment as she looked over at Dorothea and Byleth, both who nodded to Anna's words.

"Bern, we'd be more than happy to let you stay with us," said Dorothea. "You don't have to do anything your father tells you, okay?"

"Yeah, what she said!" added Anna. Anna then released her grip on Bernadetta and turned around as she murmured, "I never did with my parents."

"Anna?" Byleth asked curiously.

"It's nothing. Anyhow, I gotta get the blood off my Levin Sword. See you all later."

With that, Anna went back to her shop, leaving the others puzzled at her words.

* * *

_That must've been real cathartic for you guys, huh? If only we could kick Count Varley's ass in-game._

_If you need a mental image of my version of Count Varley, think of an FE expy of Waluigi, but without any of the likability._

_This ended up being longer than I thought it'd be. I'm trying to avoid making super-long chapters so that they can be released in a timely fashion, but this one almost ended up at my self-imposed limit._


	29. The Imperial Regent

_And now for a spot of plot-thickening. I'm sure you're gonna have questions after reading this._

* * *

**Chapter 29 – The Imperial Regent (Horsebow Moon)**

"Edie, why are you making such a big deal out of this?" Dorothea asked an exasperated Edelgard. The two were having a small argument in the entrance hall.

"Do I really have to explain it to you?" Edelgard said crossly. "You attacked Count Varley rather than letting the Knights arrest him."

"Hey, he had it coming!"

"You broke his arm after he had already been subdued!"

"He tried to kill me!"

The two realized their shouting was drawing attention to them and simmered down.

Sighing, Dorothea said, "Besides, I wanted to do a lot worse to him. He's lucky I only broke his arm."

"Dorothea…" Edelgard nursed her forehead as she said this.

"Perhaps you should have acted upon such an impulse," said a sinister voice, prompting the girls to turn to its source. "He has always been such a nuisance."

The two looked to see a middle-aged man with silver eyes, black hair and a matching beard and mustache. He wore regal white robes with a crimson trim, along with a red coat of arms on his left shoulder. The girls recognized him immediately, and Dorothea felt her skin crawl at the sight of him.

"Uncle, what are you doing here?" asked Edelgard.

"I've come to retrieve you," said the man. "It turns out your friend has left Count Varley mad as a hornet. Your father wishes for you to return to help deal with the count before he does anything that could embarrass the Empire. It shouldn't take more than a few days, but your presence is needed to ensure everything goes smoothly." He then turned to Dorothea and said, "In all honesty, if your friend here had simply killed him in self-defense, it might have been preferable."

Dorothea frowned at this as she said, "I'm sorry to have caused you such an inconvenience, Lord Arundel."

"There is no need for apology, Miss Arnault," said Arundel. "After all, only one as petty as him would attack someone for buying his daughter a gift." Then, turning back to Edelgard, he added, "Now, would you go and fetch that Vestra boy while I have a word with your friend here?"

"Of course, Uncle," Edelgard said with a frown. Then, giving Dorothea a glance, she said, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that, Edelgard strode off to look for Hubert. Now alone with Arundel, Dorothea could not ignore the pit that was forming in her stomach as the lord loomed menacingly over her.

"You seem to have a habit of drawing undue attention to yourself," said Arundel. "I trust it has not gotten in the way of what I have asked of you?"

"Hmm? What you asked of me? Remind me, what was it again?"

Dorothea raised a hand to stroke her hair, but then made a gasp of pain as Arundel grabbed her firmly under her left breast, putting pressure on her ribcage. She was still tender in that spot from her altercation with Count Varley's goons, where one of them had kicked her.

Somehow, Arundel knew about it, and it took everything Dorothea had to not show fear at the realization.

"Don't play coy with me, girl," said Arundel. "You know of what I speak. Do not make me reconsider my sponsoring you to attend this place."

The singer was about to come up with something venomous to say to the man when another voice said, "Is there a problem here?"

Dorothea and Arundel turned to see Byleth walking toward them, a look of disapproval on her face. Arundel took this cue to release his hold on Dorothea and stepped back from the singer.

"Ahh, you must be Professor Eisner," said Arundel. "My niece has told me a great deal about you. She holds you in quite high regard."

"And you are?" asked Byleth.

"Where are my manners? I am Volkhard von Arundel, Regent of the Adrestian Empire."

"And why would the Regent of the Empire be harassing one of my students?"

"Is that what it looked like? I was simply reminding Miss Arnault of her debt to me. I do so hate it when a debt goes unpaid. Now if you will excuse me, I believe I wish to have a stroll through these hallowed halls before my return to the Empire."

Without another word, Arundel left their presence.

As soon as he had gone out of earshot, Dorothea let out a loud sigh of relief as she nursed her side and said, "Thanks for that, Professor."

"What was that all about?" asked Byleth.

"It's… it's not something you should get involved in, Professor. I know you just wanna look out for me, but this is something I have to deal with."

"I still want to know what this is about, Dorothea."

Noticing the insistent tone in Byleth's voice, Dorothea asked, "You aren't gonna let this go, are you?"

Byleth shook her head wordlessly.

Sighing again, Dorothea continued, "Fine, fine. I'll tell you, but this stays between us, alright? Us and Edie."

"Of course."

"When I first learned that Edie was going to be coming to the Officer's Academy, I wanted to go along with her. But being an opera star doesn't exactly earn you the kind of money you'd need to get in, and I couldn't just ask Edie to fund me herself. So, when I told her about it, she directed me to her uncle. It took a lot of buttering him up, but I convinced him to sponsor me in the academy. But…"

"But…?" Byleth asked, wanting Dorothea to continue.

"I… I had to do some… favors for him… Things I really didn't like doing." Then, realizing she might have said things in a way that could give Byleth the wrong idea, she added, "And no, before you ask, I didn't sleep with him. But he made me do some… really questionable stuff."

"What stuff?"

"Look, Professor, I know you're worried about me, but please, don't ask. I don't want to talk about it."

"I see. Just know that if you ever want to tell me–"

"I know, Professor. But for now, let's just drop the subject, okay? I need to get going; Bern said she was going to help me with my cooking. I'll talk to you later."

With that, Dorothea turned away from Byleth and left the teacher's presence. Byleth, with some disappointment, sat herself down as she was joined by her invisible green-haired companion.

"Well now, it seems even that girl has her secrets," said Sothis. "I wonder what it is she had to do for this Arundel character. Hmm… There is something about that man that unsettles me."

"What do you mean?" Byleth asked in a whisper so as not to let anyone hear her. She didn't want people thinking she was talking to thin air, after all.

"It is not simply his mannerisms or how he seems to hold some sway over that girl. There is something to him that just feels… familiar somehow. Yet I cannot place it… But why would I find him familiar?"

"I have no idea."

…

Tomas the librarian seated himself in a secluded copse on the eastern side of the monastery, a good few minutes from the cemetery. No one else was around to observe his pondering, nor hear his mutterings concerning a certain Professor being far too nosy for her own good.

It was as he made a hidden scowl that a voice called out, "Can you answer me a riddle?"

The words immediately drew Tomas from his pondering, and he turned to see a familiar man with silver eyes, a black beard, and similar black hair.

"And what, pray tell, would be your riddle?" Tomas asked methodically.

"What color is my heart?"

"It is black as pitch, my lord."

Arundel made a smirk at this, satisfied with the correct answer to his code phrase. Still, it would not pay to be careless.

"I trust everything is going as planned with our dear 'Saint'?"

"Of course, Agastya. She is proving most generous. And how goes your pet project with our dear Entei and her little songbird?"

"The bird is proving more useless than I had thought. Not that I had any real faith in her abilities. Still, she may yet have her purpose in time. As for Entei, we can only wait and see." After a short pause, Arundel then said, "Does something trouble you?"

With a short frown, Tomas said, "It is… that demon. His mind is not on his task, and so he becomes more difficult to influence."

"I see. Powerful as he is, he is still but a beast in the end. Yet perhaps he can be… properly motivated."

"And what would you have to motivate such a beast?"

Arundel's face curled in a sinister grin as he chuckled, and then he whispered his solution to Tomas, bringing a similar grin to the librarian's countenance.

* * *

_Curious developments, yes?_

_The fact that we're never told which noble sponsored Dorothea in the game gave me this opportunity to have Arundel be her mysterious benefactor. I'm sure you all know the deal with Arundel, so you're going to be wondering why he'd be the one to sponsor Dorothea and not some original character. Well, that's gonna be a secret for a while._

_Also, who here sees the references during the conversation between Arundel and Tomas?_


	30. Into Abyss

_And now a part you've all been waiting for: the introduction of the Ashen Wolves._

* * *

**Chapter 30 – Into Abyss (Horsebow Moon)**

"Come on, Mary," said Hilda as she led her blue-haired friend by the arm through the monastery town. "Those sweets aren't going to eat themselves."

"B-But I…" Marianne tried to protest, but she just could not find the words.

Dorothea, who trailed behind the two, smiled a bit at the friendship between the girls. It was strange how they were almost complete opposites and yet were so close. If anything, it made Dorothea a little jealous.

As the three girls went on their way, Hilda suddenly stopped as she and Dorothea caught an unusual sight. Standing together as a crowd were Byleth, Claude, Dimitri, Edelgard, Ashe, Dedue, and Linhardt, all of them standing before a passageway. While the sight of all three house leaders together outside of a mission was unusual enough, the passageway was what really caught Dorothea's attention. She had been through that part of town before, but that passageway had not been there before.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Hilda asked aloud as she walked toward the group.

"Oh, hey Hilda," said Claude, turning to face the girls as they approached. "Fancy seeing you three lovely ladies here at this hour. Where were you off to?"

With an unamused look, Hilda replied, "As dodgy as always, Claude. Mary and I were off to buy some sweets when we saw all of you here."

"I see," said Edelgard. "And Dorothea, you were with them?"

"Yes, I was invited. How could I say no to such an offer, Edie?" said Dorothea. "But back to this, what's going on here? I've never seen this passage here before."

Dimitri then said, "Claude claims he saw a suspicious individual opening it up and slipping inside. We were about to head in to investigate."

"After all," Ashe chimed in, "with Flayn still missing, this could be a lead. With any luck, maybe we'll find her down there."

"Hmm, sounds interesting," said Hilda.

"Perhaps you would like to join us," asked Dedue.

"H-Huh? What?" Marianne said in surprise.

"Shouldn't this be something we should leave to the knights?" asked Hilda.

"We thought of that," said Byleth, "but we decided there isn't time to notify them. Our suspect could escape in that time."

Just as Hilda was about to say something, Claude said, "You can stop thinking of ways out of this, Hilda. We could use your help too."

"And Marianne, I would certainly appreciate your help as well," said Dimitri.

"M-M-Me? But I…" Marianne couldn't find anything to say as a slight blush came across her pale cheeks.

"Well, if you all don't mind," said Linhardt as he moved to leave. "Now that you've got Marianne with you, I'll just be–"

As if on cue, Edelgard grabbed Linhardt by the collar and said, "You're still coming with us, Linhardt. Two healers are better than one."

Dorothea made a small giggle as Linhardt sighed in defeat, and then the diva said, "You mean three healers, right Edie?"

"Dorothea, are you sure you wish to join us?" asked Edelgard.

"Hey, I want to do my part if it means finding Flayn. And besides, between the ten of us, we should be able to handle anything down there. Right, Professor?"

Byleth nodded affirmatively.

Sighing in some protest, Edelgard said, "Alright, if you want, Dorothea. I just thought after your experiences at Conand Tower and with Count Varley that you might…"

Dorothea gave Edelgard a glare at this moment, which was all the Imperial princess needed to stop mid-sentence.

"Well, would you look at that?" Claude said jokingly. "Our dear Imperial princess just can't say 'no' to our dear songstress. Maybe she's got you under some musical spell of hers." Claude put on a mocking tone at the end of his sentence, followed up by a chuckle.

Simultaneously, both Edelgard and Dorothea said, "Shut up, Claude."

The house leader of the Golden Deer recoiled at being scolded by both girls at once.

Seconds later, Byleth led the group as the ten individuals entered the passageway.

…

Minutes later, as the group descended underground, they found themselves in a sprawling chamber. Torches were lit upon the walls, and there was a noticeable lack of cobwebs in some areas. Metal gates barred off some of the passages, limiting them to moving in a single direction.

Edelgard then said, "Hmm… It seems this place is more than a simple passageway. There's clear evidence of human habitation."

"Yeah, you don't just have torches burning when no one's around," said Dorothea.

"People living under Garreg Mach…" Hilda said pensively. Then, remembering something, she said, "Oh! My brother used to tell me stories like that back in his Academy days."

"Ah, so he attended the academy as well, then?" asked Claude.

"Of course! Back then, there were tons of rumors about what goes on below Garreg Mach."

"What kinds of rumors?" asked Dedue.

"Something about tons of passages and houses beneath the town, all inhabited by super-shady people. It had a real intimidating name too. Ah, what was it again…? I think it was called… Abyss?"

Then, as if on cue, the group was startled by the sound of several iron gates shifting open, screeching as they were raised. Immediately the group went on the defensive, raising their weapons and readying spells as several rogues came pouring out of the passages. Each one of them wore a mask depicting a grey wolf.

As the group looked at their assailants, a boisterous male voice shouted, "That's two points for the pink-haired gal!"

Turning to the voice, Dorothea saw a muscular man with messy black hair, an open grey coat, and a stylized black chain extending from a collar down across his exposed chest. Like the others, his face was covered by a mask. On his hands, he bore two strange gauntlets that looked more like claws made of bone that, to everyone's alarm, were glowing a vibrant red.

Behind him, Dorothea saw two others, both girls. One of them was a blonde, her hair short and with two drill-like bangs, dressed in a grey high-waist skirt that reached her ankles, similar black chains that wound down her back, and held a fan in her hand. The other was a redhead, her hair long and messy, with dark brown skin, a short grey skirt and blue crop top under a grey cropped jacket that exposed her navel, and a black choker with a chain that settled atop her considerable bust. They too wore masks like the other rogues.

But the masks weren't what caught Dorothea's eye; it was that their outfits looked so similar to their academy uniforms.

"Identify yourselves!" Dimitri demanded.

The muscular male, Balthus, answered, "Welcome, curious students of the Officers Academy! What brings such fine, upstanding surface dwellers to our humble abode?"

"We're tracking someone who was creeping around the monastery," said Claude.

"Our business here does not concern you," said Edelgard. "Do you intend to let us pass?"

Then, the blonde girl, Constance, made a haughty laugh and said, "Such indulgence simply cannot be permitted! Your words may fool the fool, but I cannot be so easily deceived! You are here by order of the church… which cruelly plots to eliminate the inhabitants of Abyss!"

"You think we're trying to harm you?" asked Dorothea.

"N-No!" Marianne protested. "We're not here to–"

Interrupting, Balthus said, "I don't care what the reason for this brawl is. A fight's on the menu, and I'm ready to feast. Let's get right to it, yeah?"

Scowling, Dimitri said, "By the look of them, I'd wager they're experienced combatants. I'm not certain this is a wise endeavor."

"I was thinking the very same thing," said Claude. "Time to make a strategic retreat, then?"

Then, another voice chimed in and said, "Turning back already? Oh, but you'll make me so sad. Now why would you wanna do that?"

Alarmed, Dorothea whipped around to see more rogues had come out behind the students, and that they were now surrounded. Standing in the middle of the second group of rogues was a lithe man with lavender hair, dressed in a stylized black uniform with a white capelet on his left shoulder. On his left hand, however, was a fetter that glowed a similar red to Balthus' claw weapons. Again, like the others, he was also masked.

The lavender rogue, Yuri, then continued, "Everyone here is starved for amusement. They've been waiting for a good fight."

Grimacing at seeing the enemy had surrounded them, Claude said, "Wow, look at that. A flawless example of a surprise attack. These aren't your run-of-the-mill thugs."

In an admonishing tone, Dimitri said, "Claude, this isn't the time to be impressed by our enemy. We must find a way through at once."

Then, with a gesture that showed his surprise, Balthus said, "Wait… Claude, is it? As in the brand-new heir of House Riegan?"

As if caught with his pants down, Claude answered, "Who, me? Nah. Wrong guy. Claude's a common name in Fódlan. It's just too dashing for new moms to pass up. It's even a popular choice for fake names. Just a good, solid, all-purpose moniker, you know?"

"Right, except there's only one Claude enrolled at the academy this year. Looks like that's you."

Surprised, Marianne asked, "How do you even know that?"

Claude's expression turned to one of dismay as Marianne said this, as though she had just told everyone an embarrassing secret.

"Ha, you just gave him away, missie," said Balthus. "Looks like my luck's finally taking a turn for the good."

With an exasperated sigh, Claude said, "Marianne…"

"I… I'm sorry…" Marianne replied gloomily.

Balthus then said, "All right, so your choices are as follows: line up for the beating of a lifetime… or let us lock you up like the good little boys and girls you undoubtedly are. And I'm guessing by your stances that you're gonna go for the first option."

Dorothea glanced toward Byleth, who remained silent through all the talk. The professor's eyes were darting about the chamber, taking in every detail possible. They were outnumbered two to one, at least, and already faced foes on all sides. It was a difficult situation, to say the least.

"Who are you people, anyhow?" said Dimitri. "It doesn't seem right to cross blades without knowing at least that much."

The redhead, Hapi, said, "Wow, does it hurt to take yourself that seriously? Answer the man's question, B."

"Why me? Eh, fine…" said Balthus. "We're the Ashen Wolves. We're the secret fourth house in Abyss. The surface world turned its back on us, and we did the same in return. Back for a back, as they say."

"A fourth house?" Edelgard asked incredulously. "Impossible…"

"I have no clue what this guy's going on about," said Claude, "but it looks like a fight's in order, and it's pretty much all my fault for dragging you guys down here. There's a saying from the east about fighting a flicker with a flame. Seems applicable right about now."

"I have not heard such a thing," said Dedue.

Behind them, Hilda furrowed her brow as she said, "Hm… Why can't I shake the feeling that I know this wild guy?"

"And that other one," added Dorothea, gesturing towards Yuri. "I swear I've heard that voice before."

At saying this, Dorothea saw Yuri's eyes fixate upon her behind his mask. He then said, "Well then, I guess we'll be taking both options. Rough them up, but take them alive, you hear?"

Rolling his shoulders, Balthus then said enthusiastically, "Finally! Let's do this already! Prepare to face the Almighty King of Grappling!"

And as he spouted off his title, Balthus and the rogues attacked.

* * *

_Interesting twist on the DLC, yes? That won't be the only interesting change I'll be making._

_Now for some potentially bad news: I'm running out of my "buffer" for finished chapters, so if I'm not able to keep pace, I may have to slow down my release cadence. I'm not slowing it at the moment, but just a heads up that I may in the near future._


	31. A Clash in Abyss

_Fight time!_

* * *

**Chapter 31 – A Clash in Abyss (Horsebow Moon)**

Balthus made a beeline straight for Dimitri as the other rogues went for the students. The prince met his charge with a thrust of his lance, but was surprised when Balthus swerved to the side, grabbed the lance, and jerked back on it, causing Dimitri to stumble past him. Snarling, Dimitri whirled around just in time to see a backhand blow coming toward him, striking him in the chest and knocking him back.

"Come and get some, kiddo!" Balthus shouted to Dimitri as he continued swinging at the prince. "I won't hold back, so you better not either! These fists are packed with years of pent-up resentment. Time to let loose!"

Yuri, in the meantime, chose to engage Edelgard, easily avoiding a heavy swing from her axe and then slicing toward her head, deliberately only taking off a few of her white hairs. Edelgard hissed at his; she knew he was toying with her. Before she could move, an arrow flew past her, but Yuri deftly leaned to the side with incredible speed, letting the arrow sail right past him. Behind Edelgard, Claude made a growl of aggravation at missing his mark.

Meanwhile, all around the three house leaders, their friends were locked in battle with the Ashen Wolves. Dedue had blocked a blow from a lance fighter with his shield and proceeded to smash the rogue's face with his fist. Ashe had to backstep away from a sword fighter who slashed at his leg, while Marianne and Linhardt tried to distance themselves from the other rogues so they could provide healing to the others.

Hilda made a loud shriek as an axe fighter struck her own axe out of her hands. Realizing how much trouble she was in, she quickly opted to resort to her next best weapon: her charm.

"You wouldn't hurt a pretty, helpless thing like me, would you?" she said coyly.

Unfortunately, this did not have the effect she wanted, as the rogue made a loud "Heh!" as he spun his axe around in his hand and raised it, the blunt end ready to put a nasty bump on Hilda's head. Hilda's eyes widened in dismay.

And then the Sword of the Creator lashed itself around the fighter's axe and, with a quick jerk from its wielder, ripped the axe-head off its shaft. Just as the rogue realized what had happened to his weapon, a bolt of lightning struck him and sent him convulsing to the ground.

"Hilda, get your weapon!" shouted Byleth.

The professor immediately afterward spun around as an archer released an arrow in her direction. In one fluid motion, Byleth cleaved the arrow out of the air and lashed the archer's bow in two. She then retracted her blade as another rogue tried to strike her with a gauntlet. Byleth leaned back, avoiding the strike and planting her hands on the ground as she flipped in a backwards walkover, using her momentum to kick the rogue in his chin as she did. The rogue was on the ground in a daze as Byleth righted herself.

"Whoa, nice moves," Dorothea commented, having watched the whole thing.

Meanwhile, behind the rogues' formation, Constance and Hapi watched as the tables began turning against them and their comrades. Dimitri had now managed to match Balthus, while Yuri continued avoiding attacks from Edelgard and Claude. A Wind spell from Linhardt managed to send one rogue flying into one of the iron gates, while Ashe shot another rogue in her knee, sending the female to the ground with cries of pain.

But despite how the battle was turning against them, no one on either side had been killed.

"Should we be helping them, Coco?" asked Hapi.

"Now, now, timing is everything," said Constance. "My grand entrance into this battle must be splendid in all aspects!"

"Grand entrance, huh?" Hapi paused for a moment and then said, "Come to think of it, there's an easier way to handle this."

As she finished her sentence, Hapi let out a loud, very deliberate sigh.

And as she did, a swirl of magic appeared before the dark-skinned redhead. Seconds later, a creature emerged out of the swell – a Sand Crawler, a massive worm-like beast normally only found in the deserts of the Sreng region.

As the Sand Crawler let out a horrifying screech, Dorothea, who had never seen such a creature before, exclaimed, "W-What is that thing?!"

Before anyone could answer, the Sand Crawler, drawn by Dorothea's voice, swung its body toward her, knocking aside rogues as it did, too fast for her to react.

Byleth and Edelgard spun around just in time to see the side of Sand Crawler's head smash into Dorothea as she made a terrified shriek, sending her flying into a wall with a loud, sickening crack as her head struck the brick surface. The singer's body crashed to the ground, and immediately they could see the lifelessness in her green eyes, frozen in shock in her final moments.

Everyone in the chamber, including the Sand Crawler, froze in place as time stopped.

"Oh my… That was rather unexpected…" said Sothis. "Let us do something about that, then."

Time wound backward. The Sand Crawler pulled away from Dorothea as its strike was reversed, vanishing back into the swell of magic conjured by Hapi.

Byleth stopped here.

"Opting only to go back a short distance this time?" asked Sothis. "I see. You wish to regain the use of my power again as quickly as possible. Good. You are learning."

Time unfroze as color returned to normal in Byleth's view.

Hapi had just finished her loud sigh, and the swell of magic once again called forth the Sand Crawler.

Again, in shock, Dorothea shrieked, "W-What is that thing?!"

Again, the Sand Crawler heard her cry of terror, and again it rushed toward the singer faster than she could react.

The Sand Crawler roared as it raised itself to swat aside the brown-haired girl, and then it let out a screech of pain as the Sword of the Creator whipped itself around what could be considered the worm's neck. The segments of the blade dug into the monster's hide, derailing its attack on the singer.

"P-Professor…" Dorothea said in a silent gasp.

Byleth grunted for a moment as she tried to pull the Sand Crawler away from Dorothea. Then, with a loud screech, the worm wrenched its head to the side, and Byleth made a loud yelp of surprise as she was yanked off her feet and careened toward one of the high walls of the chamber. Instinctively, Byleth swung her feet forward and, rather than crashing into the wall, planted her boots on it and used her prior momentum to run along the wall for a few seconds. Then, as the Sand Crawler thrashed again, Byleth leapt off the wall in the direction of the worm, passing by it as she went.

Then, as the worm thrashed back again, Byleth let out a shout as she landed and, using her momentum, pulled hard on the Sword of the Creator.

The bladed whip ripped through the worm's neck, decapitating the monster in an instant, its body falling to the floor and flailing post-mortem for a few seconds before its body began to dissolve into sand.

Byleth gasped for breath for a second and looked back toward Dorothea. The singer had a look of awe on her face and looked like she was just about to compliment her.

But then Dorothea's expression turned to one of alarm.

"LOOK OUT!" she cried, but it was too late.

Byleth made a loud gasp of surprise as her legs suddenly felt as if they were frozen. Looking down, she saw to her shock that they literally were frozen in ice, and that the ice was rapidly encasing her body. She knew it could only be one spell: Fimbulvetr.

All Byleth could do was let out a cry before she was frozen solid, trapped within what was basically a small glacier.

"PROFESSOR!" Dorothea screamed.

Dorothea rushed up to Byleth's icy prison as a loud, haughty laugh resounded through the chamber.

Dorothea turned to see Constance as she proclaimed, "Ohohoho! Absolute perfection! My spell worked flawlessly!" Turning to the students, she said, "Underestimate the denizens of Abyss and it won't end well for you!" She raised her hands, elbows at her hips, showing the magic flowing between her fingertips as she added, "Now, you will all tremble in fear at my magical might! Ohoho – OHH!"

Constance yelped as a bolt of lightning from Dorothea interrupted her monologue, the blonde barely having enough time to block the spell with a magical ward.

Incensed, she turned to Dorothea and said, "How dare you interrupt my grand entrance! Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? You all stand before the one and only Constance Von Nuve – EEH!"

Another bolt of lightning from Dorothea interrupted the blonde sorceress, who again blocked the spell.

"You impudent little… You dare to attack the great – ACK!"

Again, Constance was interrupted by another of Dorothea's lightning bolts.

With a loud growl of pique, Constance shouted, "Will you cut that out?!"

"Will you just SHUT UP!?" Dorothea shouted back as she sent a Thoron spell at Constance, who again negated the spell with a magical ward. "I'm going to make you pay for what you just did to our Professor!"

"You? You think you can match MY sorcery?" Constance laughed arrogantly at this. "Laughable!"

Constance then sent out a fireball at Dorothea, who raised her own ward to block it. The ward shattered in an instant, overwhelmed by the power of Constance's spell as Dorothea stumbled back with a yelp. Hissing, Dorothea shot another Thunder spell at Constance, but the blonde easily blocked the spell.

With another haughty laugh, Constance said, "You are well out of your league. It would behoove you to cease your struggling and – Huh?"

Constance's change in tone, coupled with multiple cracking sounds, caused Dorothea to turn back toward Byleth. To the singer's surprise, the ice surrounding the professor was breaking apart. A radiant green glow was shining through the cracks in the ice as, for a brief instant, the Crest of Flames could be seen shining from within the icy prison.

Seconds later, with a loud defiant shout, Byleth broke free of the icy prison, causing it to shatter completely and pelt everyone in the room with small chunks of ice. It was enough to make everyone in the chamber stop fighting for a moment.

Byleth fell to her knees, gasping for breath from the effort she had just made as Dorothea rushed back to her.

"Professor? Are you okay?" the singer asked.

Byleth did not reply to this, letting out a loud cough as she greedily tried to suck in as much air into her lungs as possible.

Across from them, Constance stared at the two as she muttered, "I-Impossible… How does she possess such power…?"

Byleth glared at Constance as she tried to stand, but she found herself unable to rise from her kneel. The power that had broken her out of the ice had taken a great deal of her energy. Dorothea knelt down to try and help Byleth to her feet, resting the teacher's arm on her shoulders.

Just then, a loud howl from Balthus drew everyone's attention as Hilda smacked him in the head with the blunt end of her axe, sending him stumbling back. His mask, which had taken the brunt of the blow, fell to the ground, showing a trickle of blood running down his forehead. Everyone could now see his surprisingly handsome face.

"B, your mask!" Hapi hissed.

"Huh? Oh, crap!" Balthus cursed, realizing the students could now identify him.

Then, a second later, everyone in the chamber stopped moving as Hilda, finally recognizing Balthus, went wide-eyed and said loudly, "B-BALTIE?! Balthus von Albrecht, is that you?!"

"Huh? Do I know you from somewhere, cutie?"

Hilda's expression turned to one of utter disbelief, and then anger, as she stormed up to Balthus and stomped hard on his foot. Balthus let out a yelp of pain as he began jumping on one leg and clutching at his injured foot.

"You mean to tell me you forgot all the time you, Holst and I spent together as kids?!" Hilda hissed angrily.

"H-Holst?" Balthus asked as he stopped his hopping. Then, as realization sprang upon his face, he said, "Wait, Hilda? Hilda Valentine Goneril? I don't believe it, it is you! Look at how you've grown since I last saw you…" Then, with a lecherous smirk, Balthus added cheekily, "And in all the right places!"

Shaking her head, Hapi said, "Oh boy…"

Hilda, her cheeks turning as pink as her hair, realized Balthus' insinuation as the grappler's eyes swept over her bountiful chest. Then, with a loud feminine growl, Hilda delivered a swift kick right to Balthus' groin.

The chamber was filled with the sound of Balthus' cries of pain, Hilda's harsh words, and the laughter of those around them as the fight between the students and the Ashen Wolves ended amicably.

Dorothea, who looked on in disbelief as Hilda continued to scold Balthus, suddenly felt Byleth's weight come down on her shoulders. Alarmed, Dorothea turned to see that Byleth was now struggling to stay conscious, and now looked on the verge of passing out.

Indeed, Byleth's hearing became muffled and her vision swam before her eyes as an overwhelming weariness enveloped her being.

Yet even as she blacked out, she could hear Dorothea's voice as the singer said, "Professor? Hey, Professor?! Snap out of it! PROFESSOR!"

* * *

_Isn't it weird how funny some fights can be?_


	32. The Fourth House

_A small interlude, of sorts._

* * *

**Chapter 32 – The Fourth House (Horsebow Moon)**

Byleth groaned, her vision swimming before her eyes as consciousness returned to her. Subconsciously she raised a hand to her face and rubbed her temples, trying to remember what had happened to her.

As she let out another moan, a familiar voice said to her, "Professor, you're awake!"

Immediately recognizing the voice, Byleth turned to see Dorothea as the singer knelt beside her. The bluette felt a pang of relief at seeing Dorothea was unharmed.

"Dorothea? W-What happened?" asked Byleth.

"Don't you remember? You collapsed after the fight. We were really worried about you."

Byleth nodded as her memory of the altercation with the Ashen Wolves came back to her. Then, as she looked past Dorothea, Byleth realized they were not in the monastery infirmary, nor her room, nor any other place Byleth could recognize. The architecture told her that they were likely still in the catacombs of Garreg Mach, but the furniture around her was clearly not as old as the monastery itself.

"Where are we?" asked Byleth.

Before Dorothea could say anything, a sly voice answered, "This, my lady, is Abyss. Our home beneath the monastery."

Byleth looked to the entrance to see Yuri leaning against the archway. He no longer had his wolf mask on, revealing an effeminate face with violet eyes that, were it not for his voice, could have led one to mistake him for a woman.

"I trust you had a good rest?" said Yuri.

Byleth said nothing as she swept her legs off the makeshift bed she had been lying on and bolted to her feet defensively.

"Where are the others?" Byleth asked demandingly.

Instinctively she reached for her hip, but she quickly realized the Sword of the Creator was not strapped to her side, nor her dagger.

"No need to be so feisty, Professor Eisner," Yuri replied. "They're safe and sound. Balthus and the others were just giving them a little tour." Seeing that Byleth wasn't letting down her guard, Yuri then said, "I get it: you're still wary of me. But if I'd really wanted to hurt you or your students, do you think for an instant that I'd have brought you all here?"

Dorothea looked on at Byleth as she stared Yuri in the eye, both with an unflinching gaze. Though her expression didn't show it, Dorothea knew Byleth wasn't convinced.

It was then that a friendly voice outside the room said, "It's okay, By! The Ashen Wolves are good types!"

Her eyes widening slightly in surprise, Byleth said, "Anna?"

"The one and only!" said Anna as she slinked into view. The merchant was not dressed in her usual attire, and now was wearing a yellow and crimson traveler's garb.

Surprised by the merchant's presence, Dorothea asked, "Anna, what are you doing here?"

"When I heard about all the commotion down here, I came down to set things straight between everyone. Don't wanna have my customers fighting one another."

"Anna occasionally comes down here to do business with us," added Yuri. "Even if some of her merchandise is of… questionable utility."

"Hey!"

"Anyhow, perhaps it's best that we explain everything to you with the others. If you'll just follow me, I'll show you around the place." As Yuri spun around to leave the room, he then added, "Oh, and your weapons are over there in the corner."

Byleth turned to see, to her relief, the Sword of the Creator leaning against the far wall of the room. Her dagger was sheathed next to it atop a small crate. She walked over to them and strapped them back onto her waist, and then followed Anna and Dorothea as they went after Yuri.

…

"So, to put it in a nutshell," Balthus said as he and the other Ashen Wolves stood before Byleth, Anna and the students, "Someone's targeting Abyss. Mercenaries keep sniffing around and causing trouble here. They won't let up."

"It's a real problem, and we have no clue who's pulling the strings," said Yuri. "There are many within the church who would love to see this 'filthy' underground city purged. When you first showed up, we thought you were here to do just that."

"So that's why you came at us with that nasty 'kill the outsiders' act," said Hilda.

"Pretty much," said Hapi. "Sorry about that. We're all pretty on edge these days."

"Indeed!" added Constance. "That someone would descend to Abyss out of pure curiosity was far too outlandish to consider."

"Really?" Dorothea asked sardonically. This earned her a glare of ire from Constance, something that satisfied the singer.

"What is the purpose of Abyss?" asked Byleth.

"No idea," answered Balthus. "These tunnels have been around for ages. They could be older than the monastery for all we know."

"None remain who know the complete truth," said Constance. "However, I shall tell you all that we know for certain… Abyss is home to those who shun the light of day. It is the secret shadow of Garreg Mach, if you will."

"The church quietly tolerates us," said Hapi. "They think they need a place like this for Garreg Mach to thrive."

"The deal is simple," Yuri continued. "Abyssians never get involved with the surface, and the surface never gets involved with us."

"With exceptions, of course," Anna chimed in.

With a dramatic wave of her fan, Constance then said, "Alas! For some foul reason, surface dwellers have been after us as of late. Further oppressing those souls who can only find solace beneath the ground? I cannot abide it! Though it pains me to admit, we, too, harbor valid reasons for not venturing into the light. That is why, by the grace of our esteemed patron, we have been granted sanctuary here in Abyss."

"I see…" said Hilda. "Baltie, does that mean you've got a reason for being here too?"

"Afraid so, Hilda," Balthus answered. "I'm here because… there are more bounties on my head than there is hair. Needed to lay low. Real low."

With an exasperated look, Hilda said, "Baltie… That's awful."

"Well, that pretty much sums things up," said Yuri. Then, turning to Anna, Yuri added, "So, now they've gotten the gist of it, Anna, could you show them the way back to the surface?"

Before Anna could reply, Constance interrupted, "Nonsense! Intolerable nonsense! Whyever would we let slip this chance to acquire their aid?"

"You require our help?" asked Dedue.

"Like we said, recently this place is being targeted by mercenaries," said Balthus. "Myself excluded, a lot of the folks who live here can't defend themselves. They're here to avoid conflict. The elderly, the infirm… orphans, lost souls… merchants who were chewed up and spit out by the nobility. The works."

"It rests on us to protect those who cannot protect themselves… and to safeguard our home," said Constance. "To that noble end, I must insist that you lend us your strength!"

"U-Us? But…" Marianne stammered, but couldn't find anything else to say.

"I feel for your cause, truly," said Dimitri. "However, I cannot help but wonder why you would trust us so readily. We are from the surface, after all."

"Trust is a choice," said Yuri. "We're choosing to trust you. For now. It's clear you're not here by command of the church. And you're not just a bunch of noble twerps, either. You can hold your own. It's in the way you fight. How you carry yourselves. Still… I'm reluctant to get you involved with this madness. It's our problem, not yours."

Then, just as it looked like Constance was about to say something to Yuri, Dorothea said, "Maybe we can help each other."

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" asked Hapi.

"We came down here because we're looking for someone." Making a gesture, Dorothea added, "She's about this tall, long green hair, green eyes, kinda speaks in an old-fashioned way. Her name is–"

"Flayn, correct?" Yuri interrupted. "The little sister to the archbishop's chief advisor."

"Y-Yes! How did you know?"

Anna then said, "I already asked Yuri and the others about her a week ago. They said they'd keep an eye out for her, but…"

"I'm afraid to say that we haven't seen her down here," said Yuri. "Normally I wouldn't have my people trying to find someone from the surface, but Constance insisted we could use her as leverage."

"W-What!?" Constance snapped at Yuri. "How dare you insinuate that I would use an innocent girl as collateral! Someone of my station has no need for such underhanded schemes!"

"This coming from someone who froze our Professor solid when her back was turned?" Dorothea said with a glare. When Constance glared back, Dorothea added, "For the record, I haven't forgiven you for that."

"Watch your tongue, you impertinent tart! I'll have you know that I come from one of the oldest noble families in the Adrestian Empire!"

"I knew it…" said Edelgard. "You're Constance Von Nuvelle, aren't you?" Constance smiled proudly in confirmation as Edelgard added, "I recall hearing of your disappearance. I never would have imagined you'd end up in a place like this…"

"I might say that your presence is equally curious, Your Highness. As is your association with this stroppy street strumpet."

Edelgard now glared angrily at Constance, who instantly realized her mistake as the princess said, "Dorothea Arnault is one of my closest friends, Constance Von Nuvelle, regardless of her heritage. If you plan to continue disparaging her, I will ensure that you regret it."

Constance, for once, was left speechless, something that brought a satisfied smirk to Dorothea's face.

"In any event," Claude said, interrupting the girls' heated exchange, "we could use your help in finding Flayn. If we help you with your problem, would you help us in finding her?"

"Sounds like a good deal to me," said Balthus.

"Eh, fine," added Hapi. "We could use more bodies to throw at our enemies. Thanks for volunteering."

"I guess it's settled then," said Yuri. "Now, I suppose we'll need to–"

"Hold on a second," said Ashe. "Are you certain that just the ten of us will be enough?"

"What are you suggesting?" asked Dedue.

"We should see if any of the other first-years want to help too."

"Wait, you mean bring more of your academy buddies down here?" asked Hapi. "Not sure I like that idea. Things are crowded enough as is."

"Oh, rubbish, Hapi!" said Constance. "The more the merrier, as they say!"

"Hey, if they can fight as well as you guys can, I say let'em join the party!" added Balthus.

"I'm against it," said Yuri. "Bringing too many of your friends down would make everyone here nervous. And we're trying to keep things low profile. Sorry, but I'm gonna have to say–"

"Boss! Hey, Boss!" shouted a man's voice, prompting the group to turn to see one of Yuri's rogues rushing toward them. "We've got trouble!"

"What's going on?"

"We've got a whole load of company coming through the eastern passages."

"Define 'a whole load of company' for us," said Balthus.

"I counted at least forty guys, probably more."

"Forty?!" Constance said in alarm. "Surely you have miscalculated!"

"I wish I had. But there's a lot of them, and they're all headed this way."

Everyone was silent for a moment at this news.

Then, breaking up the quiet, Dorothea asked, "Still don't want the help from our classmates, Yurikins?"

"Y-Yurikins?" Yuri asked in confusion while Hapi let out a snicker.

Turning to Ashe, Byleth then said, "Ashe, go back up to the surface and gather the others. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"Of course!" Ashe said earnestly. "I won't let you down, Professor Eisner!"

"Hey, hold on!" said Claude. "You know how to get back to the surface from here?"

"Don't worry about it! I can remember the route."

"I trust in you, Ashe," said Dimitri. "Now go. We'll hold the line for as long as we can."

Ashe nodded to this and took off, leaving the others to plan their strategy for the upcoming battle.

* * *

_Just so you know, Dorothea's rivalry with Constance is gonna be a thing in my story. It just fits._


	33. The Underground Arena

_This one was longer than I intended._

* * *

**Chapter 33 – The Underground Arena (Horsebow Moon)**

The students had been told the enemy numbered somewhere in the forties. The reality, as they found out, was well over twice that number.

Now, sprawling across an ancient underground colosseum, the students of the Officers Academy and the Ashen Wolves were locked in battle with an enormous band of mercenaries. Other Abyssinian rogues had engaged parts of the mercenary band in some of the side passages leading to the colosseum, but the students had to face the bulk of the enemy force. Even with the mercenaries divided, the fourteen of them were still outnumbered at least three to one.

As Dorothea dashed behind a pillar to avoid being shot by a trio of enemy archers, she cursed silently at the situation. Looking towards Constance as the blonde flew about the arena on the back of her black-winged Pegasus, Syrene, Dorothea shouted, "Hey, a little help here!?"

"Tend to your own matters!" Constance snapped. "I have my own – ngh! – dilemma to contend with!"

Constance was forced to pull back on Syrene's reins as a fireball flew at the blonde. As she finished her reply to Dorothea, Constance shot a fireball of her own back at the mage who was targeting her, but the hasty spell missed its mark.

Deciding that Constance wasn't going to be any help, Dorothea turned to look at the others. Marianne made a shriek as a knife-wielding mercenary tried to rush at her, the pale girl blasting him with a Blizzard spell. This was followed up by Dimitri smashing the mercenary with the shaft of his lance, shattering the ice and sending the mercenary tumbling away. Seconds later, Dimitri was forced to block an axe from another mercenary, locking his lance with him in a contest of strength. Marianne was at a loss for what to do, as she couldn't attack the mercenary without the risk of hitting Dimitri.

Behind another pillar, Hapi called out, "Hey, Yuri, you sure you don't want me to–"

"No sighing, Hapi!" Yuri interrupted as he kicked away another kill, causing Hapi to make a loud groan of frustration.

The exchange might have sounded obscure, but Dorothea knew Yuri's decision was probably for the best. Hapi had the truly strange power to summon monsters and beasts just by sighing; unfortunately, she lacked the power to control whatever she summoned. If Dorothea hadn't seen it before when Hapi had summoned the Sand Crawler, she would've thought the Ashen Wolves were joking with them.

"No need to spoil the fun, Hapi!" said Balthus as he punched another mercenary in the head. "We've still got this!" With an eager roar, Balthus then rushed at another opponent, who panicked as the grappler grabbed him and shoved, sending him crashing into one of his comrades.

Then, another yelp of pain made Dorothea turn, and this time her eyes widened with concern. Edelgard had just been hit by a mercenary wielding a large war hammer, smashing aside the princess' shield and making the white-haired girl stumble back. Edelgard raised her axe to intercept the mercenary's follow-up swing, but the powerful blow was too much for her to deflect or block. The princess was sent careening to the ground on her back as the mercenary, not losing a step in his assault, readied another strike. Edelgard growled as she looked up at her attacker, too fast for her to recover.

"EDIE!" Dorothea screamed as she raised her hands to try and cast a spell, but she knew she would be too late.

It was then that a small fireball struck the hammer-wielding mercenary, setting his leather armor on fire and making him scream in panic as he dropped his weapon and tried in vain to put out the flames. Dorothea looked to the source, expecting to see Constance's smug face, but was surprised to see it had been Byleth who had cast the spell.

Giving Dorothea a short glance, their eyes meeting, Byleth said to her, "On your left!"

As if by instinct, Dorothea turned to her left to see another mercenary rushing up toward her. But he was still some distance away, and Dorothea's spell was crackling between her fingertips. She released her Thunder spell, electrocuting her attacker before he could even get close. Not even a second later, another arrow narrowly whizzed path Dorothea's outstretched arm, making her yelp as she took cover behind the pillar.

Taking a moment to avoid being shot, Dorothea looked to Edelgard and said, "Edie, get back! You're hurt!"

Indeed, the Adrestian princess' right arm was bleeding as she pushed herself back up. Even with her heavy armor, she couldn't take everything the mercenaries were throwing at her. Dorothea wanted to run over to heal her, but she knew the archers would make a pincushion out of her if she moved from the pillar. If she did nothing, however, the archers could just as easily make Edelgard into said pincushion despite her armor.

It was then that Anna darted forward, prompting the trio of archers to fire at her. With astounding agility, Anna whirled acrobatically through the volley, not missing a step as she closed rapidly with the archers. Two of them panicked at seeing her approach, but the third drew a knife from her belt to defend herself. A second later, the female archer made a loud scream as Anna's Levin Sword slashed her in the chest, jolting her even as she crashed to the ground. Anna followed up by ducking as one of the other archers tried to club her with his bow. The merchant whirled around and delivered a punch to the archer's chin that broke his jaw, sending him down with several teeth knocked loose. The last archer tried to ready another shot, but never even pulled his bowstring before a shot from Claude pierced his neck.

Anna had no time to thank Claude for the assist. Within seconds, another dagger-wielding mercenary made a quick swipe at her, a blow which Anna dodged by leaping backward. The mercenary continued his strikes at her, not giving Anna a chance to counter. However, Anna's confident smirk remained on her face as she continued to dodge and parry.

Then, as the mercenary made another quick thrust at Anna, he was blocked by a heavy steel shield that broke the mercenary's blade in two. Shocked, the mercenary failed to react in time before Dedue shoved forward and smashed him in the face with his shield.

"Thanks a bunch!" Anna said with a wink at Dedue.

"The fight is far from over," Dedue replied as he readied his axe.

Then, just as Dorothea was about to thank Anna for her help, a scream of terror prompted her and the other students to turn.

One of the mercenaries, his garb suggesting he was the leader, had his left arm around Marianne's torso, his hand incidentally grabbing the blue-haired girl's right breast through her uniform as he held a dagger to her throat.

"That's enough, you brats!" the leader shouted as Marianne squirmed.

Reflexively, Hilda shouted out, "Let her go, you pervert!"

"Shut your trap, girl, unless you want me to cut your friend open."

"Marianne!" Dimitri shouted. He then angrily said to the leader, "You will release her this instant, craven!"

"You don't get to make demands here, boy! Now, all of you brats are gonna drop your weapons, or your pretty friend here gets it!"

Dorothea looked around at the others. Some like Dimitri looked as though they were about to comply with the threat, while others continued to grip their weapons tightly.

"Fat chance, you lowlife!" Anna said, stopping Dimitri just as the prince was about to release his grip on his lance. "If we drop our weapons, what's stopping you from killing all of us afterwards?"

"You think I won't kill this girl if you don't?" the leader retorted.

"Anna, you're not helping…!" Hilda hissed loudly.

"She's right," said Claude. "That'd just be giving you every advantage. Not a smart play in my book."

"C-Claude!" Hilda was dismayed at seeing Claude agreeing with Anna while Marianne's life hung in the balance.

"You think you've got a choice, you brats? I'm gonna give you until the count of five, and if you haven't dropped your weapons, your friend's dead! One…!"

Then, as the leader said "Two!", Byleth made her move. In a strike so quick that the mercenaries were caught off guard, she swung the Sword of the Creator forward, sending its tip soaring at the lead mercenary with the speed of an arrow.

But to her shock, the mercenary leader reacted in time, and moved Marianne in front of the attack.

Marianne von Edmund let out a loud choking gasp of shock as the Sword of the Creator pierced through her larynx.

"MARY, NOOO!" Hilda screamed in panic as the life in Marianne's eyes began to flicker out.

The world froze as the Divine Pulse radiated from Byleth.

"You imbecile!" Sothis snapped. "Do not assume your enemy is too dimwitted to see such an attack coming!"

Mentally, Byleth cursed herself. Sothis was right; she hadn't thought the mercenary leader would be fast enough to react.

The Sword of the Creator left Marianne's throat as Byleth reversed her strike, while the mercenary leader returned to his stance before Byleth had made her failed attack.

Time returned to its normal state.

"…if you haven't dropped your weapons, your friend's dead!" shouted the leader. "One…!"

Byleth's eyes narrowed as she stared the leader in the eye. He was looking back at her, waiting for her to make a mistake. Her mind raced, but she saw no way to get at him before he would kill Marianne, or any way that wouldn't result in the same outcome.

"Two!"

Panicking, Marianne said, "H-Help me…!"

"Three!"

"Marianne, it's going to be alright," Dimitri said quickly. "It's going to–"

"FOUR!"

"ENOUGH!" shouted a man's voice as a surge of white magic formed around the mercenary leader.

Surprised, the leader could not react in time before the magic engulfed his body. With a loud "GAH!", the leader was left frozen in place, stiff as a statue. The spell had paralyzed him, leaving him still grabbing Marianne by her ample right breast with his knife still perilously close to her throat. Marianne continued to quiver in terror, her breaths short and filled with fear.

Dimitri made his move. He rushed forward at the immobilized mercenary leader, his lance at the ready when one of the other mercenaries got in his way.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" Dimitri shouted, his tone one of uncharacteristic anger.

The mercenary tried to slash Dimitri with his blade, only for Dimitri's lance to impale him through his chest. For a brief instant, the others saw a Crest shine above him as he struck – the Minor Crest of Blaiddyd. The power of the Crest led to Dimitri briefly lifting the mercenary off the ground with his lance before slamming the lance's tip to the ground, leaving the dead man barely standing as he began to slide back toward the ground along the lance's shaft.

Dimitri did not slow down as he rushed to the mercenary leader, abandoning his weapon. The leader's body shook as the paralysis spell seemed to start wearing off. But before he could move to kill his hostage, Dimitri grabbed the man by the wrist and squeezed with such strength that the others heard cracks as the leader's wrist was broken. Able to move again, the leader let out a loud howl of pain as the dagger dropped from his hand, only for Dimitri to grab at the man's neck and silence his cries. Marianne whimpered in fright as she was released and fell to the ground, wrapping her arms around her chest defensively.

As Dimitri strangled the mercenary leader and forced him to the ground in a savage display, the other mercenaries regained their wits and raised their weapons, ready to kill the prince.

Their move was met by a hail of arrows and spells from one of the entrances to the colosseum, cutting down a sizeable number of the mercenaries.

"What the hell?!" shouted one of the sellswords before he was struck by a Miasma Δ spell.

The students turned to see who had come to their aid.

"You vagabonds will bring no further harm to our friends!" shouted Ferdinand, pointing his lance at the mercenaries from atop the back of his horse.

Behind him the other first-year students voiced their agreeance with Ferdinand as they raised their weapons for battle. Caspar and Raphael made loud shouts as they rushed out first, eager to get into battle.

"Everyone's here!" Dorothea said in astonishment.

"Their timing could not be better," said Edelgard as she limped over to Dorothea.

"Yeah…" Then, remembering Edelgard's present state, Dorothea said, "Oh, sorry! Hold on, let me heal you."

The singer immediately went to work healing Edelgard's injuries as the rest of the first-year students charged into battle with the remaining mercenaries.

…

About ten minutes later, the battle had ended. The mercenaries had been routed from the colosseum, and the students had again suffered no casualties. That said, the fight had left several injured; Lorenz had been hit by an arrow to his left arm, Caspar had again gotten himself a big cut that was bound to leave a scar, while Lysithea had stumbled into a wall and hit her head after blocking a spell, leaving her unconscious. Some of the others had a few cuts and bruises but none of the injuries were life-threatening.

As Dorothea helped to heal a cut to Petra's shoulder, she looked over to see Byleth talking with Aelfric, the house leaders, and the Ashen Wolves. The priest had come down alongside the other students, and it had been his spell that saved Marianne's life.

"I am relieved that I wasn't too late," Aelfric said to the others. "I do hope my presence proved useful."

"No doubt about it," said Balthus. "We needed the backup."

"Why are you here, Aelfric?" asked Byleth.

"Oh, I suppose I have not discussed that with you. I am the church's custodian of Abyss, so to speak."

"I see. Does my father know about this?"

"Yes, Jeralt knows. He will be glad to hear you are unharmed, as will Her Grace."

Then, at that moment, Dorothea winced in annoyance as she heard Constance laugh, the sound grating upon the singer's ears, and turned to see the blonde chatting with Ferdinand.

"I see, so that brunette is a classmate of yours?" Constance asked, giving Dorothea a quick glance as she did. "Oh, my poor Ferdinand… I cannot imagine how you put up with her."

"I treat Dorothea with the same respect as I would anyone else in the Black Eagles," said Ferdinand. "Yet she still treats me so coldly. She claims it's because I'm like a bee."

"A… bee?"

This at least brought a small smile to Dorothea's face. Ferdinand still hadn't figured it out, and Constance seemed just as confused.

"I haven't the faintest idea what she means by it," Ferdinand said as he rubbed his forehead.

Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream from one of the Abyssinian rogues. Everyone turned to see one of the rogues near an entrance to the colosseum falling to the ground, blood spilling from his neck.

And as she saw the one responsible, Dorothea's felt a deathly chill run down her spine.

"The scent of fresh blood…"

Atop his steed, the Death Knight emerged from the shadows, his scythe slick with blood.

"The worms will feast tonight!"

* * *

_Oh look, he's back. At least they have Lysithea this ti… right, she's unconscious…_

_One thing I think I might've done heavy-handed in this one was Dimitri. Was his savagery too early for the story?_


	34. Shadow of the Reaper

_He's baaaaack…_

* * *

**Chapter 34 – Shadow of the Reaper (Horsebow Moon)**

For a few seconds, everyone was silent upon seeing the Death Knight. The Abyssian rogues cautiously backed up as the Death Knight's steed trotted forward, as if daring someone to challenge him.

"Who the hell is this guy?" asked Balthus.

"Someone I owe some payback!" snarled Caspar as he tried to stand. Immediately, he made a hiss of pain as Linhardt forced him back to a seated position.

"Are you that eager to lose to him again, Caspar?" Linhardt asked. "You're still wounded."

"Yeah, so what? I'll still kick his–"

"Stay where you are, Caspar," Edelgard said commandingly. Then, turning to the Death Knight, she said, "I don't know or care what brought you here, Death Knight. Leave. Now."

The Death Knight made no reply, ignoring the princess.

"I don't know what your deal is," said Yuri, "but if you plan to pick a fight with us, we're not in a merciful mood right now."

The Death Knight's steed stopped as several rogues moved to encircle him. The knight paid them no heed, keeping his glowing red gaze focused on Byleth.

Then, he raised his left hand, palm facing upwards as if to beckon one to approach him. In his hand was a strange black gem the size of a small apple.

He then said in his sinister, raspy voice, "Indulge me… And sate my thirst with your blood!"

The Death Knight's horse let out a loud whinny as it reared back, and then the Death Knight crushed the gem in his hand. Upon being broken, the gemstone crackled with dark magical energies. Seconds later, a cloud of black smoke burst from the gem, spreading rapidly to engulf the colosseum in darkness.

Two Abyssian rogues immediately rushed forward to attack the Death Knight before his spell could finish. In a flash, the Death Knight's scythe slashed through them, cleaving both of their heads from their shoulders in a single blow. Archers released their arrows at him as the black cloud spread, but none found their mark as the Death Knight disappeared into the smog.

Within seconds, everyone in the colosseum was as good as blind.

Byleth immediately shouted, "Stay together! Don't get separated!"

The students immediately rushed to regroup with Byleth, or at least to come together into tight groups. The rogues, however, were too confused by the spreading darkness.

And within seconds of the cloud engulfing the colosseum, they could hear the screams of men and women being cut down.

"AAH, he's gonna kill us all!" Bernadetta yelped in panic as she curled herself into a ball.

"Lady Edelgard, stay behind me!" hissed Hubert.

"Where is he? I can't see anything!" said Ingrid in an unusual tone of fear.

"Dammit! Guys, we can't stay here!" shouted Leonie.

Behind Byleth, Dorothea broke into a cold sweat at the sounds of the Abyssians being slaughtered. The Death Knight was already a formidable opponent, but now he was truly living up to his title. She looked over at Byleth, Yuri and Edelgard, seeing that all three had kept their nerve as their eyes tried to scan through the smog.

Deep inside the fog, Ferdinand sat upon his horse as he listened to the carnage, trying to find any signs of movement. Constance had mounted Syrene and hovered above him, using her magic to create a floating light above her left palm that only afforded them a slight increase in visibility. The blonde was busy trying to cast another spell.

"Show yourself, you craven cur!" shouted Ferdinand.

"F-Ferdinand?" called out a soft female voice. "Where is everyone?"

"Mercedes? I am over here! Follow my–"

"Ferdinand, on your left!" Constance shouted urgently.

Reacting immediately, Ferdinand had just enough time to raise his shield as the Death Knight rushed out of the smog, blocking a blow that would have otherwise decapitated him. Ferdinand immediately thrust his lance at the Death Knight, but the blow was turned away by the knight's armor. The Death Knight made another slash, this one knocking Ferdinand off balance and slashing his right arm. Ferdinand howled in pain as he fell off his horse and crashed to the ground, grasping at his wounded arm.

"How terribly unsatisfying, son of Aegir," rasped the Death Knight as he raised his scythe to skewer Ferdinand.

Just before he made his strike, a wall of ice suddenly sprouted between the Death Knight and Ferdinand, stopping the scythe's spearhead.

"That is far enough, you murderous malcontent!" shouted Constance as she floated down above the Death Knight. "I will put an end to your rampage here and now!"

She then swung her hands down as she cast another spell, this one bringing a blue-hot flame down from above at the Death Knight. It was one of the most powerful spells in Anima magic: Agnea's Arrow.

To Constance's dismay, the Death Knight's steed moved like quicksilver, leaping to the side and dodging her powerful spell.

"As insufferable as ever, I see," said the Death Knight as he readied his stance.

Upon seeing his posture, Constance made a gasp of surprise.

"Wait… Your composure with that weapon… Your posture… It cannot be…"

As Constance stared in surprise, the Death Knight swung his scythe in her direction, releasing a crescent wave of dark energy at her. Shocked, the blonde had just enough time to raise a magical ward, which shattered immediately upon being struck. The force of the attack sent Constance tumbling off Syrene's back, the blonde shrieking as she fell to the hard floor of the colosseum, striking her head as she landed. The sorceress immediately lost consciousness.

The Death Knight's steed trotted toward Constance's still form. A painful moan escaped her lips, showing she was still alive.

"What a pity…" the Death Knight rasped.

"Constance!" shrieked the same feminine voice from before.

Then, out of the fog, the motherly form of Mercedes rushed over to Constance's side and began to check her injuries, seemingly oblivious to the Death Knight's presence. At the sight of her, the Death Knight's crimson eyes widened in surprise.

"You…"

Now realizing the Death Knight's presence, Mercedes looked up at him and said in a shaking voice, "O-Oh my… how frightening…! W-Won't you please go easy on me?"

For a moment, the two were silent and unmoving as they looked each other in the eye.

"Was this meeting… preordained?" mused the Death Knight.

"W-Whatever do you mean?"

…

Aelfric muttered under his breath as he continued to work on his spell while Byleth and the students stood in a circle around him. Then, raising his arms, he shouted, "Luminas!"

A bright shining light appeared over him that seemed to burn away at the black smog covering the area. Rapidly, the cloud began to dissipate, allowing the students and rogues to see again.

And just as things started to clear up, everyone heard a loud shriek of terror from Mercedes.

"Mercie?!" Annette yelped in near panic. A second later, her eyes widened as she shouted, "MERCIE!"

The smoke finally burned away. The floor of the arena was covered in the bodies of the Abyssian rogues, most of them dead, others crying out for aid. In the middle of the carnage was the Death Knight.

Mercedes was slumped unconscious over the Death Knight's horse in front of his saddle.

"LET HER GO!" Annette screamed as she hastily fired a Wind spell at him.

Effortlessly, the Death Knight swatted the spell with his scythe, causing it to dissipate instantly.

"The girl is mine," bellowed the Death Knight. "If you wish her returned, follow if you dare."

With a shout, the Death Knight spurred his horse into a gallop and took off down the same passage from whence he came.

"MERCIE! MERCIIEE!" Annette screamed in panic.

She immediately ran to chase the Death Knight, stumbling over the steps of the arena before tripping and falling right into Felix's grasp, the swordsman having moved in front to intercept her.

"Felix, let me go! LET ME GO! MERCIE!"

"Control yourself, Annette!" Felix barked. "Think this through!"

"B-But I…"

"We will pursue him, but to do so without a plan is suicide."

From where she stood, Dorothea could only watch as Felix fought to restrain Annette. All around her, the students and rogues were on the verge of panic. The Death Knight, all on his own, had killed over fifteen rogues and grievously wounded at least ten more, all in the span of a few short minutes. Ferdinand lay on the ground holding his wounded arm, while Hapi had run over to try and rouse Constance. Others who had kept their nerve, such as Edelgard and Dimitri, now argued with whether to chase the Death Knight.

It was at this moment that Byleth strode forward amid the sounds of terror and discord from both the students and rogues. She swung the Sword of the Creator at a discarded iron shield on the ground, releasing a loud clatter that silenced everyone in the arena.

"ENOUGH!" she shouted. "Aelfric, please see to the wounded. Anyone who hasn't been injured or isn't helping Aelfric, follow me."

With that, Byleth turned and rushed off down the dark passageway after the Death Knight.

"Right behind you, By!" said Anna as she dashed after the professor.

Turning to Balthus, Yuri said, "Balthus, stay here and round up whoever's still breathing. We don't know if more mercenaries might show up."

"Got it, Yuri," replied Balthus.

As Yuri ran off to pursue Byleth, Claude said, "Whoa, hey, you sure that's a good idea? I mean, he obviously wants us to follow him. We'd be walking right into a trap."

"Do you intend to let that fiend make off with one of our own, Claude?!" Dimitri barked. "Stay if you wish, but I will not rest until that fiend is caught!"

"I concur with His Highness," said Dedue. "For Mercedes' sake, we haven't a moment to waste."

"Yeah, Dimitri's right!" said Dorothea. "We can't let him get away!"

"I actually agree with Claude, and I can hardly believe I'm saying such a thing," said Edelgard. "To follow the Death Knight into unknown territory without knowing what he has in store for us is playing right into his hands."

"Edie, what are you saying?" Dorothea said in disbelief. "You want to leave Mercedes in the hands of that monster?"

"I'm saying that we need to approach this carefully. With so many of us wounded or unable to fight, we'd be hard-pressed to defeat him."

"This is hardly the time to argue such a thing, Edelgard!" said Dimitri. "Stay behind if you wish, but I am going after that beast with Professor Eisner!"

With that, Dimitri spun on his heel and rushed after Byleth with the rest of the Blue Lions in tow.

And as the others began to argue over whether to follow the Blue Lions, Dorothea looked anxiously down the dark passageway, trying to decide what to do.

…

Byleth hissed as she, Anna and Yuri found themselves at a dead end. They had pursued the Death Knight to this point courtesy of a trail of blood that no doubt had dripped from his scythe, but now there was no sign of his presence. The chamber they had entered had no other exits.

"What gives?" said Anna. "Where'd tall, dark and gruesome go?"

"Trail goes cold here," hissed Yuri. "Gotta admit it, this bastard's as slippery as a fish."

Byleth did not reply as she looked around the cul-de-sac, trying to find any sign of where the Death Knight had gone. She deeply hoped he hadn't just teleported away like he'd done in the Holy Mausoleum. If he had, he could be anywhere by now.

"Professor! Are you there?" shouted Dimitri, prompting Byleth, Anna and Yuri to turn to see the Blue Lions rushing up to them.

"Dimitri, I'm glad you're here," said Byleth.

"Where is the Death Knight?" asked Ingrid.

"We don't know," answered Yuri. "He was leaving a trail until we got here, and now there's no sign of him."

"Maybe he entered some kind of hidden passageway," suggested Ashe. "We should look around and see if anything here might open something like that."

"H-Hey, wait up!" shouted another voice, prompting everyone to turn and see Dorothea running up to them, gasping for breath as she reached them.

"Dorothea? Why are you here?" asked Dimitri. "Didn't Edelgard not wish to–"

"Edie and the others are tending to the wounded, but I couldn't just stay behind and do nothing."

"I see… And Claude and the Golden Deer?"

"Claude had them stay behind as well."

"Tch, the coward," said Felix.

"Easy, Felix," said Sylvain. "Claude's just worried about his classmates, that's all."

"But what about Mercie?" exclaimed Annette. "She's a classmate too!"

"Don't worry, Annie," said Dorothea. "If the Death Knight wanted her dead, he wouldn't have kidnapped her. Believe me, I should know."

"What do you mean?" asked Dedue.

"Uh, well, I…" Dorothea did not elaborate further, showing the others she was clearly uncomfortable talking about it.

Interrupting, Byleth said, "Let's stay focused on the Death Knight. Check this chamber, search every corner. He had to have left some clue as to where he went."

With that, the students moved to look around the cobweb-filled chamber. Dorothea looked about as Ashe began inspecting the various stones that made up the walls of the chamber, looking for any switches or signs of a hidden passage. The other Blue Lions were not nearly as adept as Ashe in their own search, but none seemed to have any luck.

It was then that Dorothea looked to her right and saw on the floor a small pouch on top of an elaborate floor panel that did not match the rest of the room. Cautiously she stepped toward the panel and the small pouch. As she stepped on the panel, she knelt over to inspect the pouch. It contained a small bottle of fruit preserved with sugar, something that would help with baking sweets. Dorothea realized it had to belong to Mercedes.

"Hey, Professor! I found something!" said Dorothea as she reached for the small pouch.

As she did, the floor panel suddenly came alight, startling the singer. Magical energies coursed out of the panel and quickly enveloped Dorothea's body before she could react.

And as everyone turned toward the commotion, Dorothea made a yelp of surprise as she suddenly vanished in a flash of light. The floor panel lost its glow seconds later. The small pouch of fruit preserves was still on the panel.

Byleth's eyes widened with concern as she said, "Dorothea? Dorothea!"

* * *

_I honestly feel that the Death Knight kidnapping Mercedes would work really well in a manga or anime version of 3H. What do you think?_

_For this chapter, it took me a bit to figure out how I was going to get the Death Knight to solo a large group, as despite how powerful he is, he's still just one guy. Then I came up with the idea of him using a magical smokescreen (so to speak). I had thought of him summoning phantom soldiers or something like that, but that didn't speak to his character. The smokescreen idea played to his predatory nature._


	35. Alone in the Dark

_I hope you guys aren't the squeamish types._

* * *

**Chapter 35 – Alone in the Dark (Horsebow Moon)**

An intricate floor panel deep in the catacombs of Garreg Mach came alight, catching the attention of a trio of acolytes in dark garbs. The acolytes, not expecting any arrivals, immediately readied themselves for intruders.

With a flash of magical light, Dorothea appeared atop the panel with a yelp of shock. She stumbled forward as a sensation of queasiness flooded through her, placing a hand against a wall to stop herself from falling over.

"W-What in the…?" Dorothea said in her disorientation. Then, as her vision came back into focus, she said, "What just happened to me?"

She looked up and immediately realized she wasn't in the same chamber she had been in seconds before. More worryingly, there was no sign of Byleth or any of the others.

"Professor? Anna? Dimitri? Anyone?" she called out.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" said a sinister voice as the three acolytes emerged from the shadows and encircled Dorothea.

Alarmed, Dorothea tried to ready a spell. One of the acolytes immediately raised his hands, his spell surging forth to engulf Dorothea in black energy. The singer shrieked as her body was met by overwhelming pain, the spell effectively paralyzing her. She was about to fall over when the remaining two acolytes grabbed her arms and restrained her.

Despite the pain still surging through her, Dorothea yelped, "H-Hey! Let go of me! I said let go, you creep!"

"Quite a pretty one, isn't she?" said one of the acolytes.

"What to do with such a pretty bird?" said a second acolyte.

"Bring her to the master," said the third. "He can always use more test subjects."

"W-What are you talking about?" Dorothea stammered as she tried to fight against her captors, but she could not break free as they led her down a passageway. "Hey, where are you taking me?! Let me go! Help! Someone, help!"

"Scream all you wish, pretty bird," said the second acolyte. "It will do you no good here."

Dorothea continued to struggle against the two acolytes who held her arms, but her body felt like it had just run all the way across Fódlan, and these acolytes were physically stronger than her in any event. She tried to kick at their legs, but she couldn't muster any real force behind them. The acolytes laughed at her feeble attempts to resist.

Within minutes, the acolytes led Dorothea to a dark chamber that was only illuminated by candlelight. Dark magic tomes littered the area, and on the walls were numerous shackles and chains. In the center was a stone altar, before which stood a dark mage in refined black and crimson robes. They were the robes of a Dark Bishop, a master of the dark arts.

Looking to the side as she struggled, Dorothea saw a familiar face slumped unconscious on the floor, her arms chained over her head to a wall. It was Mercedes.

"M-Mercedes!" Dorothea stammered.

This caught the attention of the Dark Bishop, who turned to look at Dorothea. The old man's face was white as snow, his hair a very pale gray. His face had several veins pulsating unnaturally across his wrinkled features. His right eye looked artificial, black as charcoal and with several symbols surrounding it. He held a short black cane in his left hand, both hands looking as though they were made of a strange black metal.

The Dark Bishop stepped away from the altar, revealing another girl laying on top of it, naked as a babe, and the sight of her made Dorothea's eyes go wide with concern.

"Flayn!"

Indeed, Flayn lay upon the altar as the Dark Bishop's spell worked upon her. Dorothea could see the girl let out a weak, painful gasp as streams of the girl's blood were drawn from cuts along her small, frail body. The blood was coalescing in a liquid ball that floated above the Dark Bishop's right hand.

"Why do you fools interrupt me?" said the Dark Bishop, his voice leaving no question to his sinister nature.

"This girl came through the transporter, master," said the first dark acolyte.

"Did she? And you thought this worthy of my attention?"

The two acolytes holding Dorothea shoved her forward, sending the singer collapsing onto her knees before the Dark Bishop as he kept the ball of Flayn's blood suspended over his hand. Dorothea wanted to get up and fry the Dark Bishop with a spell, but all the strength in her body seemed to disappear. She could barely keep herself upright.

"W-What are you doing to Flayn?" Dorothea asked, doing her best not to look afraid.

The Dark Bishop smirked at Dorothea but did not answer. He turned away from the singer and hobbled his way toward a nearby table. On top of the table was a strange apparatus with eight large vials in a circular arrangement. Seven of the vials were filled with what Dorothea could only assume was blood – Flayn's blood.

Reaching the apparatus, the Dark Bishop raised his right hand, and the ball of blood began to pour itself into the last remaining vial. Not a drop was spilled as the blood filled the vial almost to the brim. As the last of the blood entered the vial, the apparatus lowered a flap over it, sealing the vial tightly and let out a small chirping sound. Then, moving his hand, the Dark Bishop's magic caused the apparatus to levitate before him.

The Dark Bishop then turned to the acolytes and said, "Get rid of this filthy beast, and then be ready to leave this site at once. No doubt her friends will show up soon."

Dorothea would've spat at the Dark Bishop for calling her such a thing, but she found she herself too afraid to say a thing. As the Dark Bishop continued to give out orders, Dorothea's attention turned back to Flayn and Mercedes. Mercedes looked unharmed, but Flayn was a sickly pale atop the altar. The green-haired girl turned her head to look at Dorothea, and Dorothea saw the despair in Flayn's green eyes as she recognized the singer.

As the Dark Bishop finished his instructions, he tapped his cane upon the floor of the chamber. A magical circle appeared beneath his feet. Seconds later, the Dark Bishop vanished, his spell teleporting him and the apparatus away.

"You heard the master," said the third acolyte. "Kill the girl and then ready everything to move."

"Must we kill her now?" asked the second acolyte. "Surely we can have some fun with her first."

"You would lay with a filthy mongrel like her?" said the first acolyte.

Dorothea finally found the strength to rise to her feet as the acolytes debated whether to kill her immediately. As she spun around, she realized the acolytes weren't taking their eyes off her, and the second one's gaze was leering all over her curves. She bit her lip as she stepped back from the acolytes as they approached her menacingly.

It was then that a loud clanking sound stopped everyone in their tracks.

"Another guest, I see," said the Death Knight as he strode into the chamber.

Turning to face him, the first acolyte hissed, "Mind your business, Death Knight! She is our prize!"

"It is due to your foolishness that this girl is even here!" said the third acolyte.

The Death Knight made no response as he continued to move toward Dorothea. The singer could only stumble back in terror, her eyes glancing toward his menacing scythe.

The second acolyte then stepped in front of the Death Knight and shouted, "Remember your place, you savage – GRK!"

In a split second, the Death Knight's left hand shot forward and grabbed the acolyte by the neck. The acolyte grasped at the Death Knight's wrist to try and free himself. Seconds later, the Death Knight tilted his head to the side as he raised the acolyte off his feet by the neck. The acolyte let out several choking gasps as he tried to break free, but to no avail. Then, with a swift twist of his wrist, the Death Knight snapped the acolyte's neck. He released his victim, letting the acolyte topple to the ground, dead.

The remaining two acolytes, now terrified of the Death Knight, loudly panicked as they scurried away from him, retreating down one of the corridors to the chamber.

For a moment, there was complete stillness between Dorothea and the Death Knight. Dorothea was still trying to comprehend what was going on. Had the Death Knight… saved her?

Then, as if to answer her, the Death Knight turned to her and said, "Run while you can."

"W-What?" Dorothea asked as she took a step back from him.

Then, in a tone that filled the singer with absolute horror, he readied his scythe and said, "I do so enjoy a good chase…"

It dawned on her why the Death Knight had done it. He wanted to kill her himself.

A second later, Dorothea did the only thing she could think of in her terrified state: she ran.

The singer dashed to the closest corridor she could find, desperate to put some distance between her and the Death Knight, who now advanced toward her. The girl scrambled with all the energy she had left in her, almost hyperventilating as she ran. She didn't think of Flayn or Mercedes, she didn't think of where to go, she didn't think of how to fight back. She only thought one thing: she had to get as far away from the Death Knight as possible, as quickly as possible.

Dorothea made a panicked cry as she pulled herself around a corner, almost toppling over as she went down a flight of stairs, running deeper into the monastery labyrinth. In her hysteria, everything she could see was a blur, and she couldn't take in anything of her surroundings.

In the back of her mind, she knew she had to calm down. This wasn't the first time she had been forced to flee from men and women who sought her life. More than once in her time as a street orphan, she had fled from angered nobles or lecherous thieves. More than once, she had been forced to run for dear life through the alleys and sewers of Enbarr. And each time, she had escaped or outwitted her pursuers. But this wasn't Enbarr. And this wasn't some minor noble or street thug after her. After her was the single deadliest warrior she had ever known, she was in a place she could not hope to escape from, and she knew she stood absolutely no chance if she tried to fight.

Calming down was the single most impossible thing she could do right now.

Dorothea shrieked as her foot struck a raised part of the floor, and she fell into a shallow puddle of sewage. The putrid stench of tainted water and the grimy sensation of it against her skin made her cough for a second, but she couldn't care less at the moment. She scrambled to stand up and run again.

A second after she did, a crescent-shaped blast of energy flew whistling toward her.

Dorothea had just enough time to spin around and raise a quick magical ward to block the attack. Her ward shattered like glass as the force of the blast sent her tumbling through more sewage. She stopped as her body struck a wall.

For a few seconds, Dorothea was in shock. She knew the Death Knight had caught her. She whimpered desperately as she tried to push herself up and run. She screamed mentally at herself to move, crying out for her to do anything to survive.

The sensation of the Death Knight's hand grasping her throat drove her to despair, and she began sobbing and blubbering for mercy as he raised her off the sewage-soaked floor and pinned her to the wall.

"Please, please, please, don't kill me!" Dorothea whimpered. "I – I – I won't tell anyone what I saw here! I swear I – Please, have mercy!"

The Death Knight was motionless as he held Dorothea by her neck, watching the singer as her pleas grew more and more desperate.

"Please, I don't – I don't want to die! I don't – I don't – I don't – PLEASE HAVE MERCY!"

Dorothea's eyes flooded with tears as panic gripped her heart. Her words began to devolve into an incoherent series of cries and whimpers.

Then, the Death Knight said, "What does she see in you?"

In her panic, Dorothea's mind couldn't process what the Death Knight was saying. But she knew the Death Knight would show her no mercy. And there was no way out.

This was it. She was going to die…

And all she could do was continue to beg desperately for mercy.

Dorothea's pleas were cut off as the Death Knight's grip around her throat tightened. Her whimpers intensified as she tried to breathe. She grasped at the Death Knight's wrist and kicked in any way she could, but all of it was fruitless.

"No matter," said the Death Knight. "Your life ends here…"

Images of Dorothea's life began to flash before her eyes as asphyxiation began to creep up on her. She saw herself as a child playing with a discarded doll in an alleyway. She saw herself up on stage at the Mittelfrank Opera giving a stellar performance to a crowd that applauded her. She saw herself meeting Edelgard for the first time behind the stage, and then saw herself joining up with Edelgard at the Officers Academy. And then she saw herself sharing her time with Byleth and the rest of the Black Eagles, all who valued her company.

In her despair, Dorothea let out one last desperate cry.

"Put her down!" shouted a familiar voice.

The pressure on Dorothea's neck loosened ever so slightly. For a second, she didn't even realize it, didn't realize she was still alive. But then it clicked in for her as the Death Knight released his grip on her neck, and Dorothea slumped to the floor of the chamber.

She couldn't see anything in her hysteria, her vision a complete tear-filled blur. Reflexively she gasped for air and clutched her throat. And as air filled her lungs, she realized she was still alive.

Someone had saved her.

Dorothea slowly looked up at her savior, knowing it could only be one person.

"P-P-Professor…"

* * *

_Writing Dorothea's panic was rather tricky. __I know Bernadetta's supposed to be the panicky one, but that's often played for laughs. For Dorothea, I'm trying to make her panic much more genuine. __Lemme know how well I did with it._


	36. A Rapturous Battle

_This is gonna HURT._

* * *

**Chapter 36 – A Rapturous Battle (Horsebow Moon)**

The Death Knight made a loud sneer as Byleth and Anna readied their weapons, while Dorothea lay on the grimy floor gasping for breath amid her sobs of terror. He readied his lance as the two women slowly moved to encircle him.

As she moved, Anna said, "You're in for a world of hurt, buster!"

"How joyous…" the Death Knight rasped. "Now you will all die together…!"

With that, the Death Knight swung his scythe in a wide crescent, sending a wave of dark energy at both Byleth and Anna simultaneously. Anna leapt over the attack while Byleth rolled underneath it. Mid-air, Anna kicked off a nearby wall and sprung toward the Death Knight, slashing at him with her Levin Sword as she did. The Death Knight blocked the blow with his scythe, and though the electricity of the blade coursed into him, he was unfazed by it. Anna leapt back as the Death Knight countered, and then jumped forward to strike at him again, but again her blow was blocked and so she was forced to dodge back.

Dorothea, her eyes still hazy with tears, watched as Byleth rushed at the Death Knight and attempted to strike him from behind. The Death Knight saw this coming, spinning around and slashing at Byleth, forcing the bluette to dodge. Without missing a step, the Death Knight whirled around and deflected another strike from Anna. And as he moved and fought with unnatural fervor, the Death Knight began to laugh.

"Yes…! YES…!" said the Death Knight. "Rapturous!"

Anna made another slash at the Death Knight at this moment, but instead of blocking he dodged the strike. Alarmed, Anna tried to dodge back, only to be caught by the shaft of the Death Knight's scythe. With a powerful swing, the Death Knight threw Anna toward a far wall, the redhead yelping before crashing into the wall and crumpling to the floor.

"Anna!" Byleth shouted in concern.

Dorothea's heart felt like ice as she looked at Anna, who now lay unconscious on the floor of the passage. She thought her salvation had come, but upon seeing Anna's prone form, the hope in Dorothea's heart began to turn to despair.

Byleth hissed as the Death Knight turned back toward her, his sinister laughter echoing through the dark, dank chamber.

"One of us will die, the other will live…" the Death Knight said to Byleth. "I will enjoy this dance of damnation!"

The Death Knight renewed his attack, taking several wild slashes of his scythe at Byleth, who struggled to block or avoid each strike. She tried to make several attacks of her own, but the Death Knight always countered or blocked each strike she made. He made a hard swing at her, forcing Byleth to block with a spell ward that shattered instantly, knocking her back so that her boots left skid marks on the grimy floor.

Byleth took several deep breaths. Though she didn't want to show it, she felt herself getting desperate. She had to end the fight soon, or the Death Knight would surely kill all of them.

The Crest of Flames radiated from Byleth's body as she separated the Sword of the Creator into its whip form. Byleth shouted as she made a series of long-ranged slashes at the Death Knight. Masterfully, the Death Knight blocked or avoided each strike from the Sword of the Creator.

Frustrated, Byleth shouted as she made another long-range slash at the Death Knight.

The Death Knight made a loud "Heh!" as he raised his scythe, causing the Sword of the Creator to wrap around it, something Byleth hadn't intended. Before Byleth could try and pull away, the Death Knight wrenched back on the scythe, pulling Byleth briefly off her feet and sending her stumbling toward him. As she did, he readied his scythe like a spear, the wicked head of the scythe perfect for skewering his victims.

Byleth made a loud, dull gasp of pain as the spear-like head of the Scythe of Sariel impaled her through the left side of her abdomen.

And as she saw this unfold, Dorothea let out a loud wail of despair at seeing Byleth receive a surely fatal blow.

Dorothea's cry stopped as time froze.

"Be more careful, you fool!" Sothis snapped. "You're going to get us all killed!"

Against Byleth's own will, time rewound itself. Sothis had taken control this time, and when time resumed its flow, Byleth found herself still hurtling toward the Death Knight's scythe, which was set to impale her yet again.

Byleth instinctively shifted her body to the side, and the scythe's head left a shallow cut along the left side of her midriff.

The Sword of the Creator came loose from the Scythe of Sariel, allowing Byleth to leap away from the Death Knight before he could follow up his attack. The two ended up in a standoff once again.

A second later, Byleth felt a sudden spike of intense pain from her abdomen. She gasped loudly as she clutched her side. It felt as if she had been impaled again by the Scythe of Sariel, even if it had only grazed her this time.

The Death Knight let out a chortle at seeing Byleth holding her side. "Are you truly so fragile, Ashen Demon?" he asked.

Byleth grimaced at this, her mind presently listening to Sothis.

"A side effect of my power, I am afraid," said Sothis. "Remain focused! You have no room for mistakes now!"

The Death Knight renewed his assault, taking several slashes that Byleth, now without the protection afforded by the Divine Pulse, frantically moved to block or avoid. His laughter continued to echo through the chamber as his assault grew ever closer to ending Byleth's life.

On the floor, Anna groaned as Dorothea attempted to rouse her. The singer had crawled over to the merchant's unconscious form in a desperate attempt to revive her.

"Anna, Anna!" Dorothea said frantically. "Please, wake up! Please!"

Despite her efforts, Anna could only moan as Dorothea shook her.

A loud yelp from Byleth caught Dorothea's attention, and the singer turned to see Byleth had just taken a shallow slash to her left shoulder. The Death Knight was now cackling loudly at inflicting such a wound upon the blue-haired swordswoman. He made another slash, and Byleth only barely deflected the blow, leading to another shallow cut across her right thigh.

Dorothea knew she had to do something drastic.

She quickly began to channel her Mana for a spell, but as she did so she saw Byleth throw a fireball at the Death Knight, who effortlessly batted it aside with his scythe. Dorothea knew she would fare no better with her own magic against him.

Dorothea did the only other thing she could think of: she directed her spell at Anna.

The merchant made a loud, surprised yelp as she was shocked by Dorothea's magic. It wasn't nearly enough to cause serious harm, but it proved enough to restore her to consciousness.

"ACK! GAH! Wait until we're open first!" Anna yelped.

Dorothea stopped her spell, allowing Anna to regain her awareness. It only took a second for the merchant to realize what the singer had done to her.

In disbelief, Anna said, "Did you just–"

"Not now, Anna! The Professor's in trouble!" Dorothea interrupted.

Anna looked over at Byleth as the bluette narrowly ducked under a swing that would've taken her head off, instead slicing off a few of her hairs.

Grasping her Levin Sword, Anna said, "I'll help By! Get yourself outta here!"

Anna then rushed toward the Death Knight, who realized he was once again against two opponents as he swung around and blocked Anna's strike. Byleth attempted to capitalize on this, but the Death Knight moved too quickly and struck her with the bottom end of the Scythe of Sariel's shaft, knocking Byleth off balance.

Dorothea could only stare, petrified in fear, as Byleth and Anna continued their desperate struggle against the Death Knight. Her mind was screaming at her to run, to escape, to survive. But no matter her thoughts, she couldn't act upon them. She couldn't bring herself to flee.

Her hand raised itself subconsciously toward the Death Knight, readying another spell. But this was not a spell of Anima she chose to cast. Green light began to shimmer around her hand as she channeled the power of Faith. But it was not a spell meant to heal, or at least not one intended to heal another. It was a spell she had never actually tried before, and she had only recently studied it. It was a spell to draw the energies of life from another being: Nosferatu.

She silently prayed the spell would work.

Green, wispy strands of magic extended from her fingertips and slithered their way through the air toward the Death Knight, whose attention was focused on blocking more of Anna's strikes. A second later, the Death Knight made a loud growl of pain as the strands touched him, bypassing his armor's enchantment, and his vitality began to drain into Dorothea's body. Growling, he turned to see Dorothea casting her spell at him. The sight of his red eyes gazing at her nearly brought Dorothea to hysteria once more.

But then the Death Knight turned back around as Byleth and Anna both struck at him simultaneously. He raised the Scythe of Sariel to block the attack, and then made a loud groan of pain as the combined blows knocked him back in a stumble. Dorothea's spell broke upon the Death Knight, barely managing to take even a little of his life force from him.

Dorothea fell to her knees again as the Death Knight stood still for a moment. Byleth and Anna, not dropping their guard, readied themselves for another clash.

Then the Death Knight began to laugh again.

"Glorious…" he said. "Simply glorious! I must have more!"

Anna grimaced as she tightened her grip on her sword, while Byleth held a hand to a cut on her right arm. Both were gasping for breath.

The stillness between the combatants ended as a pillar of flame erupted from the ground between the Death Knight and his opponents. Everyone in the room turned to this unexpected sight as the pillar dispersed.

Where the pillar of fire had been, there was now a figure in regal black and crimson robes and armor. The figure wore a black helmet with a long, crimson plume running down behind him. The figure's face was hidden by a white and red porcelain mask. In the figure's hand was a glowing battle axe that looked all too similar to a Hero's Relic, and glowed a deep red. The blade of said axe moved eerily, as if part of something living.

"Halt!" the figure said to the Death Knight, his voice almost mechanical. "You're having a bit too much fun."

For a second, everyone was silent.

The Death Knight then said, "You are getting in the way of my game." His tone clearly showed his displeasure.

"Hmph. You'll have more opportunities to play soon," the figure said as he turned to the Death Knight. "Your work here is done. Return at once."

For a moment, the Death Knight stared at the figure intently, and Byleth thought the Death Knight would attack this unknown person.

Then the Death Knight's grip on the Scythe of Sariel slackened, and he said, "Understood. I will go…"

He raised the scythe, striking the bottom end of its shaft upon the ground, and he was surrounded by a dark circle of magic. Black mist crackled around him and, within seconds, the Death Knight vanished.

Byleth and Anna did not lower their guard as the figure turned toward them. The figure first looked at them, and then turned his gaze to look briefly at Dorothea, who was still on her knees and quivered with fear.

Looking back at Byleth, he then said, "We will cross paths again. Know that I am the Flame Emperor… And it is I who will reforge the world."

The Flame Emperor raised his axe upward, and another magic circle emerged beneath him. A second later, another fiery pillar surrounded the Flame Emperor. The pillar soon dissipated, revealing the Flame Emperor had also disappeared.

For a moment, the remaining three women were silent besides their gasps for breath. Slowly, Byleth and Anna lowered their weapons.

"He's gone…" Dorothea said in a whimper.

As she said this, an overwhelming weariness enveloped Dorothea. All the adrenaline that had been surging through her was gone, and now she felt like she would pass out at any moment. She slumped to her side, about to collapse.

She felt Byleth's arms wrap around her as she fell into the teacher's grasp.

"Dorothea, are you alright?" Byleth asked with deep concern.

Slowly, Dorothea turned to look at Byleth. The teacher was a mess, still covered in small cuts and smeared with her own blood, but this did nothing to diminish the image of reassurance on her face.

It was too much for Dorothea. The diva burst into tears as she sobbed softly, burying her face in Byleth's bountiful bosom.

As Anna knelt beside them, using her magic to heal Byleth's injuries, Byleth wrapped her arms around Dorothea as the diva cried.

"It's okay, it's okay…" Byleth said as she attempted to calm the girl down.

Dorothea couldn't find any words to express her gratitude. She was alive. She had been on the verge of death and was still alive.

All Dorothea could do was cry silently in relief.

* * *

_Bet you're interested in how the Divine Pulse doesn't let Byleth get away from the pain of any injuries. Think of it as a drawback._

_And yes, that's Aymr that the Flame Emperor was holding. Yes, it's pre-timeskip. I didn't want Entei to have a regular Steel Axe or Silver Axe._

_And yes, I imagine the Death Knight is gonna have a lot of explaining to do._


	37. Return to the Surface

_Finally, out of the tunnels._

* * *

**Chapter 37 – Return to the Surface (Horsebow Moon)**

"Tell me, will she be alright?" Dimitri asked Mercedes as the blonde healer, who was now conscious, channeled her magic into Flayn, the green-haired girl now wrapped up in a set of rags.

"I don't know," Mercedes answered. "She's lost a lot of blood. I can keep her stable, but we'll need to bring her back to the infirmary as soon as possible."

"Mercie, I was so worried about you," said Annette. "If that jerk hurt you, I'll–"

"No, no, he… he didn't hurt me at all. He used some kind of spell and I just… I must have passed out."

"How puzzling," said Dedue. "Why would he capture you specifically?"

"I haven't the faintest idea."

A second later, the Blue Lions heard footsteps approaching. They turned to see who was coming, and were relieved to see Byleth, Anna and Dorothea emerge from the shadows.

"Professor Eisner, you've returned!" said Dimitri. Then, seeing the state the teacher was in, he said, "You're wounded!"

"I'll be alright," said Byleth. "I've had worse."

"Dorothea, are you alright?" asked Ingrid.

"Y-Yeah, I… I'm still in one piece…" the singer answered, her tone without her usual liveliness.

"When we heard you screaming, we thought you were a goner," said Annette. "What happened down there?"

"Th-The Death Knight… he… he almost…" Dorothea shuddered as she leaned against a wall.

"We're lucky we found her when we did," said Anna. "Tall, dark and gruesome got away, though."

"I'm just grateful that everyone is safe," said Dimitri. "That's what matters most."

"Well, everyone on our side," said Yuri. "Sorry, Professor, but I'm afraid we weren't able to capture any of these guys alive."

"What happened?" asked Byleth.

"They put up a good fight, for starters. I actually managed to catch one of them, but when I was gonna question him, he, well…"

Yuri then gestured to a nearby pile of ashes, one that looked very recent.

"The crazed fool incinerated himself," said Felix. "Our enemy is clearly fanatical to whatever cause they follow."

"We're sorry, Professor," said Ingrid.

"It's alright," Byleth replied. Then, to everyone's surprise, she smiled and said, "Like Dimitri said, the most important thing is that everyone's safe and sound."

For a moment, everyone in the chamber was silent as they stared at Byleth.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"I don't think I've ever seen you make such a big smile, By," said Anna. "You must be really happy everything turned out like this."

"I… I guess I am…"

"Alright, alright, enough idle chitchat," said Yuri. "I'd say it's high time you all went back up to the surface."

"I agree," said Sylvain. "I dunno about you guys, but I'm officially sick of this–"

"Hello? Hello?!" called out an unknown female voice.

Startled, the Blue Lions turned toward the source of the sound, which had come from another corridor. Byleth looked to Dimitri and Yuri, who both nodded as they moved to follow her with their weapons readied. The trio peered down the corridor to see a series of prison cells.

From one of the cells, the voice again cried out, "Hello? Who's there? Please, please help me!"

Hearing the cry of distress, Dimitri was the first to rush over to the cell. Inside was a red-haired girl with similar red eyes, covered in dirt and grime. She was barely clothed in what looked like the torn remnants of an academy uniform, her outfit ripped apart in places that clearly suggested her captors had sexually abused her. She had her arms wrapped around her sizable breasts, which spilled out of her ruined shirt as she trembled in fright.

"Hold on, we'll get you out of there," said Dimitri. The prince then tried to pull open the bars to the girl's cell, but the metal was too much for him.

Then, with a loud "Ahem!", Yuri strode up and brushed Dimitri aside as he knelt before the locked door of the cell. The lavender rogue fished out a lockpick from his belt and went to work on the door as Byleth walked up to look at the terrified redhead.

The girl's eyes locked with Byleth's as she said, "A-A-Are you one of th-the knights? Please, you've got to get me out of here!"

"Calm down," said Byleth. "We're here to help."

Seconds later, the prison door made a loud 'click' as Yuri finished with the lock. Yuri stood up and pulled the door open, and almost immediately the girl rose to her feet. She barely took a step toward them before her legs gave out. Dimitri rushed forward and caught the girl in his arms.

The girl broke into a series of panicked sobs as she said, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I just… I…"

"Easy now, you're alright," said Dimitri.

"Please, please, you've got to get me out of here!" said the girl.

"Calm down," said Byleth. "What's your name?"

"M-M-Monica. Monica von Ochs. My father's a noble in the Empire. Oh please, we have to get out of here! I-I-I can't stay here any longer!"

"Please, calm down. Everything will be okay."

Monica continued her cries as Dimitri and Byleth led her back toward the rest of the Blue Lions. Byleth removed her overcoat and placed it over Monica's shoulders, helping to cover her exposed body.

Immediately, Sylvain looked at Monica and said, "Wow, who knew you'd find such a beauty down there?"

A second later, Ingrid let out a loud growl as she struck Sylvain to the back of his head.

"Are you serious, Sylvain?!" Ingrid snapped as Sylvain rubbed the new bump on his head.

"Agh… Y-Yeah, that was bad, even for me. Sorry."

"Okay, I think that covers everything," said Yuri. "If you'll all follow me."

With that, Yuri led the others down another corridor. Within minutes, they found themselves before a stairway leading upwards with a strange symbol carved into the adjacent wall.

Gesturing to the symbol, Yuri said, "This stairwell should take you up to the surface. As for me, I need to get back to Abyss."

"Aren't you coming with us, Yuri?" asked Anna.

"It's better if I don't. If I go up there when Flayn turns up, it'll create a huge stink."

"But you helped us find her!" said Annette.

"Trust me, there's a lot of people in the church who wouldn't care less. They'd find some way to pin the blame on us."

"That's ridiculous!" said Ashe. "We would all vouch for you. Right, everyone?"

The Blue Lions all either nodded or voiced their affirmation.

"Hey, I appreciate the notion," said Yuri. "But in any event, I need to make sure everyone back in Abyss is safe. Hapi might've sighed or something like that."

"I understand," said Byleth. "Thank you for all your help, Yuri."

Yuri nodded to this. He then spun on his heel and slinked his way back into the shadows, leaving the Blue Lions to begin their trek up the stairwell.

Minutes later, they found their path blocked at the top of the stairs, but they could clearly see light coming through. Dedue stepped forward and pushed against the obstruction, causing a loud crash as the bookshelf toppled over.

The students began pouring out into what appeared to be someone's quarters. Dorothea looked around the room and saw numerous weapons arranged along the walls.

"Um, where are we?" asked Annette.

"We're clearly somewhere in the academy," said Ingrid. "But whose room is this?"

Then, Felix looked at a nearby desk and saw a familiar mask laying on top of it. He briskly picked up the mask and, showing it to the others, said, "I have one good guess."

The others immediately recognized the mask.

"Wait, isn't that Professor Jeritza's mask?" asked Annette.

Ashe then asked, "Does that mean Professor Jeritza is–"

The Blue Lions were interrupted as the door to the room slammed open, revealing Manuela and Hanneman at the entrance.

"What are you all doing in here?" asked Hanneman. "What is – Is that Flayn?!"

"Professor Hanneman! Professor Manuela!" said Dimitri.

Manuela immediately pushed past Dimitri and began to inspect Flayn's unconscious form.

After a moment of looking around the room, Hanneman then turned to Byleth and said, "What in blazes is going on here, Professor Eisner?!"

Letting out a loud sigh, Byleth stepped forward and said, "It's a long story, Professor Hanneman. But we first need to get Flayn and Monica to the infirmary."

…

News spread quickly of Flayn's return. Seteth had immediately rushed to the infirmary to see her, but Manuela had turned him away so she could tend to the girl. He had then given profound thanks for Flayn's rescue to Byleth, Anna, and the first-year students, all who had returned to the surface and were now seated in the dining hall. Byleth had ordered a small feast prepared for the students to both reward them for their efforts and help them calm down from the day's excitement.

At one end of the mess hall, however, Dorothea stood alone as she held a small plate with a slice of meat pie on it. She hadn't touched her serving.

"Dorothea?" said Edelgard as she strode up to the brunette.

"E-Edie!" Dorothea said, startled by the princess.

"Professor Eisner told me what happened in the catacombs. Are you alright?"

"I… I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"That may be so, but from what I heard, the Death Knight nearly killed you. Are you certain you are–"

"Edie, stop it. I'll be fine. It's not the first time someone's tried to kill me like that."

"Dorothea, as your friend, I'm worried about you. I–"

"I said stop it, Edie!"

A loud clatter brought the clamor in the dining hall to a dead silence as Dorothea threw aside her plate, which shattered upon hitting the ground. Everyone in the dining hall was now staring at the diva and the Imperial princess, the latter who looked at Dorothea apprehensively.

"I said I'm fine!" Dorothea snapped.

But then, a second later, she realized everyone was staring at her. Slowly she turned to see everyone's faces, many with looks of concern.

"I… I'm just…"

Dorothea couldn't manage another word. With a loud sob, the singer rushed out of the dining hall as everyone watched in stunned worry.

A minute later, Dorothea reached her room in the dormitories and slammed her door shut behind her. For a moment, she kept her back pressed against her door, listening for anyone outside. She could not hear anyone nearby.

She then stumbled toward her bed and fell onto it, and for the next half-hour she could do nothing but silently cry herself to sleep.

…

Edelgard cursed herself as she left the dining hall. She should have been more delicate with Dorothea, but now her dear friend was clearly in turmoil.

The princess didn't know what to do. After all, in some way, Edelgard was responsible for what happened to her. She had dragged Dorothea along into Abyss, and it was because of this that she had ended up in the Death Knight's clutches. If it hadn't been for the Professor…

"Edelgard?" said Byleth, as if on cue.

"Professor, how is Flayn?" asked Edelgard as she composed herself.

"Manuela says she needs a good amount of rest, but she'll pull through."

"I see. And Monica?" Byleth nodded, so Edelgard said, "That's a relief."

Then, as Edelgard let out a sigh, Byleth asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's Dorothea, Professor. I don't think she's well at all. What happened to her down there?"

This question brought a look of regret to Byleth's face. The teacher clenched her hand in a fist as she turned her gaze away from Edelgard.

"She was separated from us, and the Death Knight came after her. If I had been there a second later," Byleth said, her voice shaking, "that monster would have…"

Byleth clenched her fists so tightly that Edelgard thought she was about to draw blood.

"I… I should have been there sooner. I should have been faster, stronger. I let her down."

Edelgard was silent for a moment, and then said, "You did nothing of the sort, Professor. You were there when she needed you most. You cannot say you let her down. But now she faces a different battle, and I feel she will need your help more than ever."

There was nothing more to be said between the two. Edelgard turned and made her way toward the dormitories, leaving Byleth to ponder what to do next.

* * *

_Poor Dorothea, right? You don't just come out of nearly dying three times in as many weeks like nothing's wrong._

_This stuff is VERY tricky to get right, so I hope you guys appreciate it._

_Also, I heavily changed how Monica is found because of how it felt strange how she's found in-game unconscious next to Flayn (I assume you all know the deal with her). Having her in a prison cell waiting to be rescued felt more believable._


	38. Weaknesses

_Now we get a variation on the Byleth/Dorothea B-support. And something I've wanted to do with said support for a while._

_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

* * *

**Chapter 38 – Weaknesses (Horsebow Moon)**

The following week went by far more peacefully at Garreg Mach. With Flayn recovered, the students were able to go back to their studies and training. Flayn had even been permitted by Seteth to join the Black Eagles in Byleth's lectures, having been made an honorary member of the house. It allowed Byleth to keep a close eye on the green-haired girl.

Byleth was dressed in her teaching attire rather than her combat gear, her wardrobe bearing some resemblance to the students' uniforms. She had even started learning how to use make-up, courtesy of Annette and Hilda. Byleth didn't use much, and she might have found it pointless before, but even she had to admit that it made teaching easier.

The bell rang for the end of the day's lecture.

_Dum… Dum dun dun… Dom…_

"That will be all for today, everyone," said Byleth as the students rose from their seats. "Remember that mid-terms will be coming soon, and I expect the best from you all. That includes you, Linhardt."

Linhardt let out a groggy groan at being mentioned, something which didn't sit well with Byleth, but she knew the young healer would pass his tests. Despite his slothfulness, he was a brilliant intellectual.

Over the next few minutes, the Black Eagles slowly made their way out of the classroom to see to their own activities for the rest of the day. But as the classroom was emptied, Byleth noticed Dorothea still seated in a corner of the room, her expression one of depression.

Byleth looked at her with pity. Dorothea still hadn't fully recovered from her near-death experience. Flayn had been able to cope thanks to everyone's support, and even Monica seemed to have a drastic personality change after being reintegrated into the Black Eagles, but Dorothea had been somber for the whole week.

Taking a deep breath, Byleth knew she was going to have to speak with the diva on the matter.

"Dorothea?" Byleth asked as she walked up to her.

Startled, Dorothea looked up and said, "O-Oh, Professor! Did you need something?"

"The lecture is over. Everyone else is gone. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, don't worry. It's nothing…"

Byleth said nothing, but she continued to stare Dorothea in the eye. The brunette relented after a few seconds with a sigh.

"Actually, could we talk for a bit? Somewhere a bit more… private?"

"Of course."

"Good. Let's head back to my room. I… don't want people overhearing us."

…

Byleth had insisted on making a detour before she and Dorothea made their way to the diva's room. Dorothea now held a bowl of Saghert and Cream in her lap as she sat on her bedside. However, she had barely eaten any of it, and had only done so at Byleth's prompting.

After a moment, Dorothea sighed, set her bowl aside, and asked, "Can I tell you something, Professor?" Byleth nodded, so Dorothea said, "I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I find you to be a little difficult to be around. I know, I know. I'm your student and you're just trying to watch out for me. But the way you look at me sometimes… it's like you're seeing right through me."

"Seeing through you?" asked Byleth.

"Don't worry. I know you don't mean anything bad by it. I'm just too self-conscious, I guess." Sighing again, Dorothea added, "You know this, but I don't have anything to call my own. No land, no birthright, no fortune. And, compared to you, little knowledge or battle skill. Because of that, I've always clung to my image as a diva. Even after leaving the stage, I've sort of kept up the act. But when I look at you, it's like your eyes are accusing me… Telling me that you see right through it. That's what I mean when I say it's difficult being around you. Not to mention all the trouble I seem to get in when you're around."

"I… I'm sorry."

"Again, it's not your fault, Professor. I guess I've just been unlucky as of late. I mean, I've almost died three times in as many weeks. First at Conand Tower, then with Count Varley, and then… well, you know. And because of all that, you keep seeing my vulnerable side, behind the singer and the starlet. And I don't like how you keep seeing it… the side of myself I hate…"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I – Professor, you know what I mean! You must've heard me when I was… when I was begging for my life!"

It clicked in for Byleth what Dorothea was getting at by this point, but she allowed the diva to continue as the brunette's voice began to waver.

"You know, people say that when you're face to face with death, you find out what kind of person you really are. And each time I almost died I was just… I couldn't think of anything else but myself! When the Death Knight had his hand around my throat, all I could do was beg for him to spare my life! When he chased me, I didn't think for a second about Flayn or Mercedes! All I was thinking about was saving myself!" Dorothea buried her face in her hands and whimpered, "And that's not the first time that's happened either! When I was an orphan, I had to run from people after my life more times than I can remember. When I was in the opera, men and women would come after me, whether out of jealousy or lust or whatever. And each time, each time I had to run or hide, I only ever cared about saving my own skin! No one else ever mattered! What kind of person does that make me? What does that say about who I really am? It says I'm a coward, that's what! A coward who only gives a damn about herself! And I hate it! I hate being the scared, selfish, helpless damsel, like in my plays!"

Dorothea was now crying again, her self-esteem at an all-time low.

After a good ten seconds, Dorothea felt Byleth place her hand on her shoulder.

"You're not selfish, Dorothea," said Byleth.

Dorothea said nothing for a moment as she looked up at her, and then she turned away from Byleth as she said, "You don't mean that. You're just saying it."

"I do mean it, Dorothea. If you truly cared only about yourself, you wouldn't have saved me when I fell from the ledge at Conand Tower."

Dorothea made a short gasp of epiphany at this as her green eyes shot wide open.

"If you were selfish, you wouldn't have stayed and helped Anna and I against the Death Knight. A truly selfish person would have fled, but you stayed."

"But I… I left Flayn and Mercedes…"

"It's not cowardice to run from a fight you can't win. You did the only thing you could. If you had stood and fought, we never would have made it in time to help you."

Dorothea was silent for a moment, and then asked, "How do you do it?"

"Huh?"

"How are you always so brave? How come nothing ever scares you?"

Byleth paused for a moment, and then said, "I do get scared."

Dorothea looked at Byleth with an expression of disbelief.

"I was scared when I heard you screaming in the tunnels. I was afraid we weren't going to make it in time. I kept thinking we'd be too late, or that we wouldn't be able to defeat the Death Knight. I… was afraid of letting you down."

Dorothea couldn't find anything to say.

"But being brave means doing what you're afraid to do," Byleth continued. "You can't be brave if you're not scared. That's something my father taught me when I was a child."

Dorothea paused for a moment to think it over, and then said, "Wow… that's good advice. But… it sounds easier said than done."

"It is. To be honest, I actually wish I would get scared more often."

"What? Why would you want that?"

"There's a fine line between being brave and being foolhardy. I'd rather not be the latter."

"Oh. I see…"

To Byleth's relief, a smile came across Dorothea's face. The two were silent as the singer pondered all that Byleth had said. She gingerly picked up her bowl of Saghert and Cream and took another bite of the desert, the flavor helping her think. Minutes passed in silence as Dorothea continued to eat.

Then, struck by an idea, Dorothea asked, "Hey, uh, this might sound nuts, but maybe you could show me some kind of weakness of yours?"

"Excuse me?" Byleth asked, surprised by such a question.

"You know my biggest fears… my weaknesses. If I know another one of yours, maybe I'll feel less, I don't know… vulnerable."

"Well, if it would really help…"

"Excellent. Well then, don't mind me."

As she said this, Dorothea rose from her seat and walked over to sit next to Byleth on her bed. She looked as though she were returning to her usual verve.

With a small giggle, Dorothea said, "I bet I know your weakness. It's not mental, is it? It's physical! You're ticklish! Here, I'll prove it."

With that, Dorothea brought her hands to Byleth's sides and stroked her.

"That's right. The next time you gaze into my soul, I know just how I'll retaliate!"

Dorothea continued stroking Byleth's sides, trying to get a reaction out of her. But then, after a few seconds, she stopped upon realizing that Byleth wasn't giving off the reaction she wanted. Instead of a fit of laughter, Byleth was staring back at her with a look of chagrin.

"Um… Professor?" Dorothea asked in confusion. "What's with you? Why aren't you reacting to anything I'm doing?"

The look on Byleth's face spoke for her. She clearly didn't find it all that amusing.

"Oh, come on! I thought that was funny! I swear, it's like your heart isn't even beating!"

Byleth decided it best not to respond to Dorothea's remark.

"Oh well, I didn't really think a little tease like that would be enough to get to you, anyway. Though I was giving it my all. You're pretty tough to resist that."

But then, as Byleth continued to stare at Dorothea, the singer got a more lurid idea.

With a grin, Dorothea said, "Hmm… well then, if not your sides… Then how about these?"

Without warning, Dorothea's hands shot up and each grabbed a handful of Byleth's huge breasts through her shirt. Byleth blinked as she made an audible gasp of confusion, as though being groped hadn't fully registered to her. Then, as she looked down to see Dorothea clenching her bountiful chest, the diva's hands unable to fully grasp all of the teacher's ripe mounds, her pupils narrowed as it fully sunk in.

To Dorothea's delight, Byleth let out a loud, uncharacteristic shriek.

"D-D-D-DOROTHEA!?"

Immediately, Byleth wrenched herself free of Dorothea's grasp and sprung off the bedside, her hands covering her chest defensively. Dorothea laughed at this, not expecting Byleth's reaction to be so expressive.

"Aha! I knew it! I knew you had to have a weakness of some kind!" Dorothea said happily. Then, with a sly smile, she added, "Figures it'd be those huge things. You're even bigger than me."

"Dorothea Arnault, that was completely inappropriate!" Byleth stammered. "You don't just go around grabbing other people's chests without permission!"

"Oh, I see. So, if I wanted to do that again, would I need your permission, Professor?"

Byleth made a loud, disapproving glower at this, to which Dorothea let out another giggle.

Then, as she looked at Byleth again, she added, "By the way, you're adorable when you're blushing."

Confused, Byleth looked at Dorothea's mirror. Just as Dorothea said, she saw that her cheeks had turned red as a tomato.

"I don't think I've ever seen you make such a cute face," Dorothea teased.

With a loud huff of embarrassment, Byleth darted out of Dorothea's room.

Dorothea couldn't help but fall back onto her bed at this and laugh.

…

Byleth gasped for breath as she shut herself back in her quarters. To her relief, no one had been around when she had screamed. Her cheeks were still red with embarrassment; she had never been this flustered before in her life.

"My, my, who would have thought it?" said a familiar voice.

Byleth's face blanched as Sothis appeared before her.

"All it takes is a simple fondling and you scream like a child."

"Sh-Shut up!" Byleth snapped with a glare. "I don't want to hear it from you!"

Sothis then frowned as she said, "I know that look in your eye. You were just about to make fun of my child-like body, weren't you? You were about to make some remark at my expense regarding your voluptuous form." With sarcasm, Sothis added, "How very mature of you."

"I-I wasn't– I didn't–"

"You were thinking it."

Byleth suddenly felt her face flush even redder at this. And it only continued to flush with color as Sothis began to laugh.

"To think you are so easily flustered," said Sothis. "Perhaps I should thank that singing girl for showing me such an amusing spectacle. But if anything, you should be thanking each other."

"Huh? Why?" Byleth asked in confusion.

"Now, now, I think I will let you figure that out. But I do believe that she will be right as rain when next you see her." Sothis then made a yawn and said, "I am suddenly very sleepy once more. Please leave me to my rest."

In a shimmer of green light, Sothis vanished from Byleth's sight, leaving the teacher to ponder what she meant.

* * *

_Tell me, was this too much of a mood whiplash?_

_The thing is, the moment I saw the B-Support in-game, I knew I wanted to make an ecchi version of it. But I wonder if I should've kept it separate from Byleth coaxing Dorothea out of her PTSD. Oh well, hope you enjoyed the groping scene._


	39. A Diva's Birthday

_Time for a tea party! And for Dorothea to receive a very special gift._

* * *

**Chapter 39 – A Diva's Birthday (Horsebow Moon)**

It was the 29th of the Horsebow Moon, normally an unremarkable date in Fódlan. However, for Byleth and Edelgard, who sat at a table in the hedgerows of Garreg Mach, it was a rather important one.

"Your friend is taking her time, isn't she?" said Sothis as she floated near Byleth. Byleth ignored the ghostly girl.

"Don't worry, Professor," said Edelgard. "Dorothea usually arrives a little late."

The two heard footsteps approaching, and within seconds Dorothea appeared from around a corner in the hedgerows.

"Hey, Edie!" said Dorothea. "Oh, Professor Byleth. I didn't expect you to be here too."

"Edelgard invited me," said Byleth. She then smiled and said, "Happy birthday, Dorothea."

Smiling magnanimously, Dorothea said, "Why, thank you so much! But you didn't need to go to all this trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," said Edelgard. "Come, have a seat."

The now nineteen-year-old singer took her seat at the table and looked at the rather large assortment of baked sweets before her, including a mouth-watering cake. But it was the scent of the tea that caught Dorothea's attention.

"Hey, is that… is that Hresvelg Blend?" Dorothea asked. Edelgard nodded, so the singer said, "Oh my, talk about fancy! A-Are you sure we should be drinking this?"

"We also have some Albinean Berry if you'd like," said Byleth.

"You're very thoughtful, Professor. So much better than a lot of nobles around here."

Dorothea started with a cup of Albinean Berry Blend while Edelgard had some of the Hresvelg Blend. For the next several minutes, the three could be heard chatting over a variety of topics, ranging from the opera to current fashion. In the case of the latter, Byleth completely missed a hidden joke by Dorothea regarding her stockings. Yet each topic was one that brought a smile to Dorothea's face.

Then, about half-an-hour into their tea party, Edelgard asked, "So, Dorothea? How has your swordplay been? I haven't had a chance to see it as of late."

"Uh, well, um…" Dorothea stammered nervously. It was all the answer Edelgard needed.

"I see. In any event, I have something for you."

Edelgard left her seat for a moment to head over to a side table, atop which lay a long box covered by a tablecloth. Edelgard removed the cloth and picked up the box, bringing it to Dorothea.

"Ooh, a present for me?" asked Dorothea. "What is it? A new dress?"

"Open it and see for yourself," the princess answered.

Standing up, Dorothea delicately took hold of the top half of the box and lifted it. When she saw what was inside, her jaw dropped slightly.

Within the box was an exquisite blade, long as a broadsword, but barely wider than one's thumb. The sword looked as if it were made of high-quality silver, but it let off a magical shimmer as the sun's light glistened off its blade. The cross guard was decorated with a shining ruby in the middle, something which normally would have made the blade weaker, but this belied the weapon's craftsmanship. The pommel of the weapon was shaped like a small blooming rose.

"A… A sword?" Dorothea asked in disbelief.

"It's a Rapier," said Edelgard. "I felt a heavier blade wouldn't suit you, so I had this made by the royal blacksmith in Enbarr."

Dorothea hesitated to touch the weapon. Byleth took the opportunity to rise from her seat and went to pick up the blade. She was surprised at how lightweight it was.

"Professor?" said Edelgard.

Not replying, Byleth took a few steps away from the two girls and the table of tea and sweets. Then, taking a battle stance, Byleth began to swing the weapon. She made several slashes, thrusts, and swipes, testing the sword's balance. Each movement was measured and calculated, showing the teacher's skill in swordplay.

A minute later, Byleth lowered the blade, then turned to Edelgard and said, "It's light as a feather."

Then, to the surprise of both girls, Byleth swiftly slashed the blade at a nearby iron post that held up a small planter. Dorothea thought for a moment that she was about to break the weapon.

The blade went cleanly through the metal post, which toppled over and caused the planter to break apart as it hit the ground.

"P-Professor!" Dorothea said incredulously. "Don't go breaking it!"

Taking a moment to look at the blade again, which was without a single blemish, Byleth then said, "That's unlikely." Looking at Edelgard, she added, "It's made of Mythril, isn't it?"

"M-Mythril?" Dorothea stammered. She looked to see Edelgard nodding at Byleth's question.

The realization hit Dorothea like a pile of bricks. Mythril was an incredibly rare metal, light as a feather, but it was easily one of the strongest in Fódlan and almost never lost its edge. Even a small chunk of it could go for thousands on the market.

And Edelgard had just given her a blade made of the magical metal.

"Edie, I… I can't accept this! That thing's probably worth more than I've made in my entire life!"

"Don't worry about the cost, Dorothea," said Edelgard. "I want you to have it, as a token of our friendship."

"Edie…"

"After what happened in Abyss, I want you to be able to protect yourself. I know you are already skilled in magic, but you can't rely on that all the time."

Dorothea could only wordlessly nod in agreeance at this as Byleth took a scabbard from the sword case and sheathed the Rapier.

"But a weapon alone won't win you a battle," Edelgard continued. "You'll need to know how to use it. I spoke with Professor Eisner and she's willing to teach you herself. Isn't that right, Professor?"

"Of course," said Byleth. "I'd be glad to show you everything I know."

"Oh, you two…" Dorothea said with a sniffle.

"Don't expect me to be an easy teacher, though. And I hope you've had your fill of cake for now."

"Huh?"

…

An hour later, the sound of Dorothea's Mythril blade swinging through the air could be heard in the training grounds. The girl had just taken a wide swing at Byleth, but the bluette had easily avoided the clumsy attack and countered with a wooden sword, striking Dorothea's left breast. Dorothea let out an embarrassed yelp at this, and as she nursed her sore left chest orb, she looked to see Byleth giving a very brief smirk.

It seemed Dorothea wasn't entirely off the hook for groping her.

"H-Hey! Watch it!" Dorothea exclaimed.

Byleth said nothing, instead taking a moment to try and ignore Sothis as the girl chimed in.

"Are you still sour about that little fondling she gave you? How very mature of you."

Dorothea made another swing at Byleth, but the teacher swung her blade and hit the Rapier from the side, sending it flying from Dorothea's grip. She followed it up by poking Dorothea in her belly with the wooden weapon, leaving the diva to stumble back and fall on her behind.

Edelgard made a sigh of disappointment at this as she watched.

"My, my, how embarrassing," said Sothis. Byleth was thankful no one else could hear her. The green girl was getting on her nerves.

As Dorothea groaned on the ground, Byleth said, "Come on, let's start over."

"Ugh, Professor, give me a minute, would you?"

Byleth frowned at this. Dorothea wasn't proving very good with her new sword.

"An enemy won't be so merciful, Arnault," said a familiar arrogant voice.

The three women turned to see Felix emerge from the shadows with a look of disdain, his eyes fixed on Dorothea.

"Surely you know that from experience," he added.

"Felix. How long have you been watching?" asked Edelgard.

"Long enough to tell you that you've wasted your money giving this girl such a weapon. She's more likely to stab herself rather than an enemy."

"You shut up, Felix!" Dorothea snapped.

Felix let out a prideful "Hmph" as he raised a hand and beckoned for Dorothea to attack him. In a fit of pique, Dorothea rushed at him, grabbing her new blade as she ran.

Felix immediately raised his own wooden sword and swung hard at Dorothea's weapon, slapping her from her grip again. Before she could recover, Felix rushed forward, made another swing and hit her in the back, sending her collapsing to the ground. Dorothea gasped in pain as she lay on the ground and turned to look back at Felix, just as the heir of Fraldarius brought the edge of his wooden weapon to her neck.

"Pathetic," said Felix. "It's no small wonder the Death Knight bested you so easily."

Dorothea's eyes narrowed at this. She was determined not to show weakness to Felix, but it was far too late to mask her fear at the memory.

"Had I been there, it'd have been a far different story. But you? You're as weak as ever."

Off to the side, Edelgard's expression was turning to one of tranquil fury. She took a step forward and began to remove one of her white gloves, intending to strike Felix with it.

She stopped as Byleth put a hand before her, and another Rapier emerged from behind a column next to Felix and tapped against his wooden sword.

"Care to put your skill where your mouth is, boy?" said a woman's voice.

Felix turned to see who had just challenged him, while Dorothea looked up at the new challenger as well. Her face lit up with surprise at who it was.

"J-Judith!"

Smiling, Judith said to Felix, "You're Rodrigue's son, right? I'd have thought he would've taught you some manners."

"Judith von Daphnel," said Felix. "I've heard of your skill. I hope you'll prove a real challenge!"

With that, Felix swung his wooden sword at Judith. The Hero of Daphnel moved like lightning, parrying the strike when it was a mere inch from striking her face. She followed up with a quick swipe that hit Felix's right wrist, leaving a shallow cut, and then a thrust that pierced into his left shoulder, though she only went skin-deep. Before Felix could even reel from the hit, Judith made another slash, this one hitting Felix's left shin and making him fall on one knee. She finished with a thrust that held her blade close to Felix's neck.

Dorothea was astonished. Judith had only needed three seconds to bring Felix to his knees. And she had done it with one arm held behind her back.

As Felix glared at her, Judith said, "That enough of a challenge for you, boy?"

Infuriated, Felix threw away his wooden sword and limped his way out of the training grounds as one of the monks went to heal his wounds.

"Wow…" Dorothea said as she got back up. "Th-Thanks…"

"No need to thank me. That punk needed a good thrashing and I was more than happy to give him one." Then, turning to Byleth, she said, "Good to see you again, Professor Eisner."

"What brings you here, Judith?" asked Byleth. "Are you looking for Claude again?"

"Not this time. I'm here seeing a friend and thought I'd stop by and see how things were going. Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, though. This girl's moves are almost painful to watch."

"H-Hey!" Dorothea snapped. "I'm not THAT bad!"

"Actually, you are, girl. You're using that shiny new blade all wrong. You don't swing a fencing sword around like a battle axe. It's a weapon of precision and grace." Then, turning to Byleth, she added, "Something your style doesn't seem to do."

"What do you mean?" asked Byleth.

Judith walked over to Dorothea's Rapier and picked it up as she said, "You're good with a sword, Professor Eisner, but your way of fighting isn't what works for a weapon like this. If you go teaching this girl to swing it around like a broadsword, she's gonna lose it or break it in no time, no matter what it's made of."

"I see…"

As Judith handed the Mythril blade back to Dorothea, Edelgard asked, "Perhaps you would be willing to show her how to wield it, Judith?"

"Sorry, but I don't teach here. I can, however, direct you to some texts in the library. They should be more than enough to get you started."

"Thank you, Judith," said Byleth.

"It's my pleasure."

Then, a boisterous voice said, "I thought I heard you here!"

Everyone turned to see Catherine entering the training grounds.

"Ah, there you are, Catherine," said Judith.

"I was wondering who gave Felix those cuts," said Catherine. "Should've recognized your handiwork."

"The boy needed some humiliating."

"Well, since we're here, how's about we give everyone here a good show?"

"You're on." Turning back to Dorothea, Judith said, "Looks like I'll be showing you after all."

Dorothea's face lit up with interest as Judith and Catherine moved to begin their duel.

…

The battle between Judith and Catherine had ended in a draw, much to the approval of those who came to watch. Following the duel, Dorothea and Byleth had taken their leave of the training grounds, while Edelgard had been called away by Hubert. The two women made their way back toward Dorothea's room.

"That was incredible, Professor," said Dorothea. "I never thought anyone besides you would be a match for Catherine, but Judith really held her own."

"She's had years of practice and experience," said Byleth. "Given time, maybe you could be as good as her."

"Well, maybe not as good as her, but still, it gives me a goal to reach."

"That's the spirit." Byleth smiled as she said this.

"Well, I think I'd better find a spot for this in my room." Dorothea looked down at the Rapier in her hand. "I suppose I'll need to give this thing a name. All good swords have names, right? What do you think?"

"It's up to you."

"Alright then…" Taking a moment to think, Dorothea then said, "How about Joyeuse?"

"What does that mean?"

"It's an old word for 'joyous', I think."

"If that works for you." Then, remembering something, Byleth said, "Oh, I remembered I got something for you too."

"Really? Oh, Professor, you shouldn't have."

"It's no trouble at all."

Reaching for a satchel on her belt, Byleth pulled out a small golden bracelet encrusted with emeralds. She handed it to Dorothea, whose face lit up on seeing it.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Dorothea exclaimed.

"Anna said it'd match your eyes."

Dorothea let out a giggle as she said, "I'll bet she just said that so that you'd buy it."

"Anna didn't sell this one to me. She helped me pick it out from another shop."

"Really? Huh, could've sworn she would've wanted you to buy something from her. Anyway, thank you, Professor Byleth. I love it!"

The diva slipped the bracelet around her right wrist, the accessory proving a perfect match for her.

"Well? How does it look?" Dorothea asked.

Byleth's only reply was to smile again.

* * *

_I honestly don't use the Rapier much in 3H, largely because of how anti-armor and anti-cavalry attacks can be done in so many other ways. I usually just give it to Dancer Dorothea as a way for her to use Sword Avoid +20._

_And yes, you're evil, Felix._

_EDIT: I understand people think I'm bastardizing Felix by making him a much bigger jerkass. Don't worry, I plan for Dorothea to **earn** his respect in the next little while._


	40. A Fishy Festival (Wyvern Moon)

_Finally, we reach a new month. But something's fishy in here._

* * *

**Chapter 40 – A Fishy Festival (Wyvern Moon)**

It was a beautiful sunny day early in the Wyvern Moon. The academy had decided to hold a fishing competition, and dozens of students and knights were gathered around the fishing pond to try and catch the biggest fish they could. Not only were the fish plentiful at the time, but Seteth had opted to hold the competition to help Flayn recover from her abduction.

Back at the classrooms, however, Byleth was searching for a certain diva, and soon found her outside the Black Eagles' homeroom.

"There you are," said Byleth.

"Oh, Professor, did you need something?" asked Dorothea.

"I was hoping you could join us at the fishing pond for the competition."

"Fishing?" Dorothea made a grossed-out expression as she said, "Sorry, but I'll have to pass. I tried it once, and… ugh. Gross. I don't even really like to eat fish, let alone catch and gut them. Yuck…"

"Flayn really wanted you to come. You don't have to participate if you don't want to, but she wanted to thank you for your role in her rescue."

"Really? She wants to thank me for running away like a scared child?"

"Look, I can tell you don't want to do this, but please, for Flayn's sake?"

Dorothea made a loud sigh as she said, "You really know how to guilt-trip a girl, don't you?" Then, taking a deep breath, she added, "Alright, alright, I'll go. But don't expect me to do more than just stand around and look my best."

"It's a deal. Come on."

With that, the two made their way toward the fishing pond through the dining hall. Dorothea could already smell numerous catches of fish being cooked and flavored, the scent making her give out a silent "Blegh…" as she covered her nose.

They came out to a small balcony that overlooked the fishing pond, where Leonie stood and watched the others with displeasure. Dorothea found this odd; Leonie was quite the fisher, but she wasn't going to participate?

Realizing their presence, Leonie turned and said to Byleth, "Can you believe this, Professor Eisner? Why are they having a fishing tournament now? Are they just giving up on the battle of the Eagle and Lion?! You're not condoning this, right? Are you?!"

"There's no harm in it, Leonie," said Byleth.

"Yeah, why are you so worked up over it?" asked Dorothea.

"If we've got so much time to waste on this, shouldn't we be spending it on training?" answered Leonie.

"Everyone needs a break now and then," said Byleth. Then, gesturing down below, she added, "Besides, it's for Flayn's sake."

The three looked down to see Flayn standing between Catherine and Alois. The jovial knight was pulling on his line, thinking he had finally caught something. A second later, his catch emerged from the water, and turned out to be nothing more than a discarded boot. This made everyone around him laugh at his rotten luck while Alois made a growl of frustration.

Seeing Flayn's laughter made Leonie say, "Yeah, I get that, but still, did they need to include everyone else in it?"

At that moment, Flayn looked up and saw Byleth and Dorothea. She waved at them and said, "Professor Eisner! Dorothea! I am ever so glad you could both make it!"

"Well, that's our cue," said Dorothea. She then followed Byleth down to meet with the short green-haired girl. Leonie made a sigh of exasperation, and then chose to follow them down to the pond.

Upon reaching Flayn, Dorothea remarked, "This is quite the turnout, isn't it?"

"I told my brother I had a craving for some tasty fish," said Flayn. "I did not realize when I did that it would turn into… well, this. My apologies."

"There's no need to apologize, Flayn," said Byleth. "You've been through a lot, and Seteth wanted to make you feel better."

"Will you be taking part too, Professor?"

"Of course," Byleth answered.

"Ah, I must admit, I am quite excited! And what of you, Dorothea? Will you be–"

"No, no, not me," said Dorothea. "I'm not really a fan of fish, but Professor Byleth insisted I watch."

"I see. Not everyone enjoys the taste of fish, I suppose."

"So, what are the rules?" asked Byleth.

As if on cue, Shamir strode up and said, "For the competition between the students and knights, whoever catches the biggest fish wins. But you'll also get a special prize if you catch what Flayn wants."

"I am afraid I cannot recall the type of fish I was hoping to dine on…" said Flayn. "So, if you do manage to catch a fish, do you mind bringing it for me to see?"

Byleth nodded to this, so she went over to pick up a fishing rod and some bait. Dorothea, meanwhile, found herself following Byleth toward the small dock that stretched out over the fishing pond.

"Oh, so you're taking part as well," said Ashe.

"Good luck to you, Professor," said Caspar. "Raphael's currently got the biggest catch."

Caspar gestured to the muscular Golden Deer, who held a huge Fódlan Carp in his arms as he laughed with pride. It was truly an impressive catch.

"I don't know how anyone's going to beat that," said Ingrid.

Byleth took this moment to step forward onto the dock and, looking down into the waters of the pond, cast her line into the depths. As everyone else continued chatting, Dorothea watched as Byleth stood still as a statue, patiently waiting for something to bite. She even saw the line being pulled a few times, but Byleth did not set her line.

Then, Dorothea saw the rod bend significantly as something pulled hard on it. In that instant, Byleth pulled back, and the water of the pond seemed to come alive with motion.

"Hey, the Professor's got something!" said Ashe, prompting everyone to turn to her.

To everyone's surprise, Byleth was struggling. Whatever she had just caught was nearly pulling her into the water. She grimaced as she braced her boots against the boards of the dock, trying desperately not to get dunked or to let the line break. For several minutes, everyone around her cheered as she struggled against whatever fish she had hooked.

"Do not be losing, Professor!" said Petra.

"Hang on, Professor!" added Annette.

"Don't let some dumb fish get the best of you!" shouted Caspar.

Byleth loudly grunted as she pulled back on her line. She could feel her catch losing its energy, though she was amazed it was lasting this long. She had never caught something this lively before.

She began to reel in the fish, and everyone was amazed to see a massive shadow coming up from the depths. It looked almost big enough to be a person.

"Wow, that thing's huge!" said Alois.

"You've almost got it, Professor!" shouted Ingrid.

"Oh my, how exciting!" said Flayn. "I… I think it's a…"

The fish made a last desperate attempt to break free of the line, so Byleth made a loud shout as she pulled as hard as she could on her fishing rod. Her catch seemed to rocket toward the surface and released a huge splash of water as it finally burst out of the pond. Everything felt like it was in slow motion. She watched in amazement as the giant fish careened through the air over her head. It was almost as big as a wild boar.

And then, as she followed its graceful arc through the air, she saw where it was about to land, and her expression turned to one of alarm. One that matched Dorothea's, who looked up at the massive fish.

Dorothea screamed loudly as the fish crashed into her and sent her to the ground.

"AAHHHH! GET IT OFF! GETITOFF! GETITOFFME!"

The fish was flailing wildly on top of the singer, who lay flat on her back as she desperately tried to force the fish off her. She managed to get it off after a second of struggling and frantically scampered back on her hands and feet as the fish thrashed desperately on the stone of the monastery.

Byleth looked at Dorothea to ensure she was alright. The diva was a mess, covered in slime from the fish's body. She was looking up at the Professor with an expression of humiliation.

And then her face went red and her eyes watered as everyone started laughing at the comical scene.

"Professooorrr!" Dorothea cried at Byleth in a mix of anger and shame.

And then, the laughter, Dorothea's cry, and everything else froze still as stone.

"What do you think are you doing?!" shouted Sothis as she materialized before Byleth. "My power is not meant to be used for something as trifling as this! The girl is hardly in any life-threatening peril!"

Sothis angrily continued to rant at Byleth for her misuse of the Divine Pulse, but Byleth didn't care. She had to make this right. Dorothea didn't deserve to be humiliated like this, not after everything she had been through.

As time began to wind itself back, Sothis let out a groan of frustration and said, "Oh, very well! Just this once!"

Dorothea scampered forward on her hands and feet as the fish rolled back on top of her. Its thrashing moved in reverse, as did Dorothea's struggling to get it off her. The fish went back into the air as Dorothea's body was lifted. Her expression of alarm returned. The fish was now directly over Byleth's head.

And then it stopped. Byleth was caught by surprise at this; she knew she could wind back further than this.

"Think fast!" said Sothis.

Against Byleth's control, time resumed its flow, and now the fish was careening right toward Dorothea again.

Byleth moved on a reflex, pulling her fishing rod hard to the side as the fish moved through the air, changing its trajectory.

But then Byleth saw where it was now going to land, and the same look of alarm came across her face as she realized she had made another mistake.

Not even a second later, another girl screamed as the fish crashed on top of her.

"ACK! BAH! GET THIS THING OFF ME!" shouted Leonie as she lay underneath the flailing fish.

With a shove, Leonie managed to push the fish off her body and rolled to the side with a loud groan of disgust. The fish continued to thrash on the monastery stone as Leonie looked down at herself for any injuries. She wiped a portion of the fish's slime off her shirt, which was now wet enough that one could almost see her undergarments beneath it.

And then, as they had before, everyone started laughing at seeing such a predicament.

Unlike Dorothea, who had given Byleth a look of humiliation, Leonie glared at the teacher angrily for what had just happened.

"If you'll excuse me…" she hissed as she stood up and stomped away from the scene.

This only made everyone laugh harder at her. Even Dorothea was now joining in on it.

"Oh, oh my, that was just–" Dorothea could barely form a sentence as she held her sides.

And then, something happened that made the diva stop laughing instantly.

She saw Byleth laughing too. The teacher was holding a hand to her navel as she bent over, laughing loudly at Leonie's accident, despite that she was the one who had caused it.

After a few seconds, Dorothea said, "Well, someone's enjoying herself."

As she said this, everyone else seemed to realize that Byleth was laughing. Their reactions ranged from being awestruck to wide smiles at seeing their Professor having such a good time.

Raphael let out a loud chuckle of his own as he said, "Looks like you win, Professor!" He then gestured to the fish Byleth had caught.

"Oh, my goodness!" said Flayn as she looked at the fish. "I can hardly believe it! It's a Fódlandy!"

"Wow, really?" Ashe said in amazement. "I've never seen one before."

"I am certain it is one!" Flayn continued giddily. "Though it may not be what I was looking for, I am certain it will make for an amazing dish!"

"Then let's get this big guy up to the kitchen!" said Raphael as he walked over and wrapped his arms around the gigantic fish.

…

The fishing festival ended shortly after Byleth's enormous catch, and now Manuela was in the kitchen working her culinary skills on the Fódlandy. Dorothea had opted not to help in the kitchen but sat across from Byleth at one of the tables. The teacher was now trying to think of a way to make things up to Leonie.

"Professor, really, it'll be fine," said Dorothea. "It was an accident. She won't hold a grudge against you for this."

"But still, I embarrassed her in front of everybody," Byleth said sheepishly.

"Hey, at least everyone got a good laugh out of it. I know I did." Dorothea giggled as she remembered the spectacle, which made Byleth sigh in exasperation.

Then, after a pause, Dorothea said, "Say, Professor, that's the first time I've ever seen you laugh at… well, anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I liked that. I liked seeing you enjoying yourself, even if it was at Leonie's expense."

"Oh… well, um…"

Byleth couldn't find anything to say to this. Dorothea didn't know the half of it.

That had been the first time Byleth had ever laughed in her life.

* * *

_Who knew I could make something like fishing into something so entertaining?_

_And yes, Sothis can be such a little troll sometimes._


	41. Maid to Order

_This chapter is mostly a fanservice one, but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless._

* * *

**Chapter 41 – Maid to Order (Wyvern Moon)**

Byleth and Dorothea were met by an unusual sight on their way to the dining hall after some training. Seteth was in the entrance hall speaking with Anna, with an opened crate in front of them and several others nearby. Inside the crates were multiple sets of clothing.

"Let me make this as clear as possible," said Seteth. "I did not place an order for this many outfits!"

"Well, obviously you did, because that's what I saw on the order," Anna replied.

"That is absurd! I know what I wrote down, and it was for ONE in each size, not TEN!"

Before Anna could reply, Byleth and Dorothea walked up, prompting Anna to say, "Hey, By, can you reason with this guy? I filled the order for these outfits like the church wanted and now he wants me to take them all back."

"That is because you made far more than necessary!" said Seteth. "I do not intend for the academy to have to pay ten times the expected amount!"

"Oh, come on. Do you know how much it cost me to have these made? I've already paid the seamstresses. You can't expect me to just eat the costs like that!"

Seteth was about to say something when Byleth said, "Okay, please, let's calm down."

"What are all these, anyway?" asked Dorothea as she looked at the crates.

At that moment, a small crowd consisting of Hilda, Annette, Mercedes, Marianne, and Flayn all came out of the dining hall, all chatting amongst each other. Flayn was the first to notice the debacle before them.

"Brother, what in the world is going on here?" asked Flayn.

"It's nothing for you to be concerned about, Flayn," said Seteth. "Just a mix-up with an order placed by the academy."

"Really?" asked Annette. "What for?"

Hilda knelt next to the opened crate and took hold of one of the outfits, raising it up for the girls to see.

"Maid outfits?" said Hilda.

"And there's so many of them…" added Marianne.

"Why would you order so many outfits?" asked Mercedes.

"That is just the thing: I didn't!" Seteth snapped. "I only placed an order for one in each size, but Anna decided to make ten of each instead!"

"Hey! You think I'm trying to swindle you?" Anna said crossly. "Who do you take me for?"

"Anna wouldn't do that," said Byleth. "Seteth, you must have made a mistake somewhere."

"Preposterous. I made the order very clearly; it is your friend here who seems to have made the mistake."

"Hey, why were you buying these things anyway?" asked Dorothea.

"They are replacements for ones that Miss Dominic burned last week."

Sheepishly, Annette said, "I-It was an accident! I told you I didn't mean to throw that fireball at the clotheslines!"

"In any event, Anna needs to take these back. There is no room in the servants' quarters for so many."

"Look, Seteth, we can work this out," said Byleth. "Anna, do you have the order he wrote?"

"Yeah, back at my shop," said Anna.

"Well, why don't you go and get it? Then we can figure out what went wrong."

"Sure thing, By. Be back in a bit."

As Anna spun around to leave, Seteth said, "Do you think I plan to leave you unsupervised?"

"Wha– Do you really think I'd skip town over something like THIS?"

Again, Byleth interrupted and said, "Anna, please, just take Seteth with you for this."

For a moment, Seteth and Anna simply glared at one another.

The tense standoff was then broken as Hilda held up one of the maid outfits and said, "Hey, these things are kinda cute, if you ask me."

She then took one of the maid headdresses and walked up behind Flayn.

"Umm, Hilda?" Flayn asked in confusion.

"Hold still for a second," said Hilda as she fitted the headdress onto Flayn's head.

Hilda then stepped away from Flayn, letting everyone see her with the headdress on. There was only one word that could be used to describe the look.

"Oh my goodness!" said Annette. "That's so adorable!"

"You look just like a little doll, Flayn," Mercedes said with a smile.

"Really?" asked Flayn. "Brother, what do you think?"

"I… Um…" Seteth was apparently at a loss for words, and for a faint moment Dorothea thought she saw him blush.

"Almost makes me want to try it myself," Dorothea said with a giggle.

"Hey, that gives me an idea," said Hilda. "How's about we get some of the other girls and have a little dress-up party with these outfits?"

"W-What?" Marianne asked.

"Oh, that's a great idea!" said Annette. "I'd love to see you wearing one, Mercie!"

Mercedes giggled at this.

"A splendid idea!" said Flayn. "Come, let us find a place to dress ourselves!"

As the girls moved to pick up the crates, Seteth said, "Now, wait just a moment! You can't just use those for your own amusement!"

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy, Seteth," Hilda said with a frown. "We'll bring them back when we're done."

Seteth was about to protest, but upon seeing Flayn with a big smile on her face, he let out a loud sigh and said, "Very well, but I expect all of them returned when you are finished, and I expect them to be undamaged. After all, Anna will be taking them back once I have settled this mishap with her. If I learn that any of them were damaged, they will be coming out of your pockets. Is that clear?"

The girls all nodded affirmatively, but each one showed their dislike of Seteth's terms.

Seteth then turned to Byleth and said, "Professor Eisner, could you please ensure they don't do anything too foolish?"

Byleth nodded at this, so Seteth and Anna went on their way.

"Come on, Professor," said Dorothea. "Let's go find the others."

…

A half-hour later, the first-year girls were gathered in one of the monastery lounges. Curtains were shut to keep any of the boys from peeking and various impromptu changing stalls were set up so the girls could have a little privacy while changing their clothes.

Dorothea was impressed that they had managed to get all the first-year girls for this. It had been difficult to get Bernadetta, Leonie and Ingrid to participate, but they had somehow managed it. Bernadetta was hiding under a table, terrified at being around so many people at once, yet they had still managed to get her into one of the small outfits. Leonie was standing off to the side with an exasperated expression, still dressed in her normal academy uniform.

Ingrid, however, was crying out in embarrassment as Annette and Mercedes undressed her in one of the stalls.

"H-Hey! Watch where you're – AAH!" Ingrid yelped as she was stripped down to her undergarments, unable to break free from the two Blue Lion mages.

"Come on, Ingrid, hold still!" said Annette.

The orange-haired girl was already dressed up in a small maid's outfit and, in Dorothea's mind, looked cute as a button. Mercedes was also dressed up in a large-size outfit, and Dorothea was surprised to see just how busty the blonde was. The maid outfit was hugging Mercedes' breasts tightly, which sat high and firm on her chest.

Off to the side, Flayn was enjoying herself as she looked around at the others. Petra was busy trying to understand why maids would wear such a thing, finding it far too stuffy for her liking, while Marianne was blushing madly as Hilda fitted a headdress onto her. She too was far bustier than Dorothea had initially thought, though not to the same extent as Mercedes.

One who was certainly not busty, however, was Lysithea, who stood with an exasperated look on her face. She was glaring at Dorothea, who too had gotten herself dressed in one of the large outfits. It fit her perfectly, though Dorothea had opted not to wear the leggings in favor of her usual thigh-high boots, which caused a small amount of her smooth legs to show underneath the skirt.

Dorothea looked back at Lysithea as the white-haired girl glared at her. Specifically, Lysithea was glaring at her chest.

"Umm, Lysithea?" Dorothea asked. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing…" Lysithea said in disappointment.

"All done!" said Annette as she and Mercedes pushed a blushing Ingrid out of their stall.

"Oh, Ingrid, you look fantastic!" said Dorothea as Ingrid stumbled around.

"I think you look ridiculous," said Leonie.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Leonie," said Hilda. "Your turn!"

"What?! Hey, I didn't say I was gonna do this! Lemme go!"

Hilda and Mercedes took it upon themselves to grab Leonie by the arms and drag her into one of the changing stalls. Within seconds they heard Leonie yelp as her shirt was tossed up to rest on the edge of the stall.

"Cut it out, you guys!" Leonie hissed.

"Come on, Leonie," said Hilda. "We're all having fun here!"

It took several minutes before Hilda and Mercedes could finally finish with Leonie. The Sauin hunter had a blush of embarrassment and anger on her face as she stumbled out.

Growling, she said, "I look like an idiot in this!"

She then grabbed at the outfit as Hilda said, "Hey, don't go ripping it! Seteth said if you rip it, you buy it."

This made Leonie stop dead in her tracks. The last thing she wanted was to be in more debt. She slumped her arms down and bent over with a defeated sigh that made the others laugh.

"I'm never gonna live this down…" Leonie muttered.

"What is going on here?" said a familiar royal voice.

Everyone looked to see Edelgard entering the room with a look of utter confusion on her face.

"Oh, Edie!" said Dorothea. "You're just in time! We were just trying on these maid outfits."

"I… can see that…" said Edelgard. "But why are you all doing this?"

"Call it a fun little activity," said Annette. "Come on, you should try one on!"

"Me?" Then, as Dorothea slinked behind her and took Edelgard by the shoulders, the princess said, "I suppose I could for a little while if all of you are doing it."

"That's the spirit, Edie!" said Dorothea. "Come on, we've got one just your size!"

Dorothea herded the Imperial princess into one of the changing stalls as the girls watched in amusement. Sitting nearby as she supervised the whole thing, Byleth couldn't help smiling at seeing the girls having such a good time together.

Minutes later, Dorothea stepped out of the stall and said, "Ladies, I present to you the Princess of Maids!"

A second later, Edelgard stepped out of the stall, her cheeks flustered as everyone looked at her.

"This is… rather, um…" Edelgard couldn't find the right words for the situation, prompting the others to laugh. Edelgard turned to Byleth and looked expectantly at her, to which Byleth replied with a smile and a nod.

"You look absolutely adorable, Edie!" said Dorothea.

"I dunno," said Annette. "I still think Flayn's got her beat in cuteness."

"How very kind of you to say such a thing, Annette," said Flayn.

"Well, that's just about everyone," said Dorothea. "Just one more of us needs to try one on."

"Really? Who?" asked Ingrid.

"Why, the Professor, of course!"

"M-Me?" Byleth said, not expecting such a thing.

"Yes you, Professor! We've got one set aside just for you. Come on, try it on."

"I… suppose I could."

Byleth did her best not to blush as she stepped into the stall on her own. The girls waited outside as they saw the Professor's clothing being placed on the sides of her stall.

Then, after several minutes, the stall opened, and Byleth stepped out. However, her outfit didn't look entirely fitted on her, with the back still untied.

"Umm, could I get a hand with this?" asked Byleth.

"Leave it to me, Professor," said Mercedes as she stepped behind Byleth.

For a moment, Mercedes worked to try and tighten the straps of the outfit's bodice, meant to keep the wearer's chest from bouncing around too much. But it was proving rather difficult for Mercedes to tighten them.

"Oh dear, this is really stubborn," said Mercedes. "Let me just give it one big – Hmph!"

With that, Mercedes pulled hard on the straps, and the room was filled with a loud ripping sound.

To everyone's shock, Byleth's maid outfit had torn right between her huge breasts, and now showed her black undershirt beneath the outfit.

Byleth's face immediately flushed as she wrapped her arms around her chest defensively.

"Oh my…" Flayn gasped as the others burst into laughter.

"M-Mercedes!" Byleth hissed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Professor!" said Mercedes. "I didn't know that was going to happen."

"I guess you're just a bit too big even for the large size," Dorothea said with a giggle. This made Byleth glower at her.

Byleth then scrambled back into the changing stall as the others continued chatting or laughing. Minutes later, Byleth emerged dressed in her regular attire with the torn maid outfit in her hands and a look of exasperation on her face. She knew she was going to have to pay for it.

But as she looked back at the girls and the smiles on their faces, she knew it was worth the price.

…

"So, did you find the order?" Byleth asked Anna and Seteth as the two returned.

"Yeah, I have it right here," said Anna. "And look, it says TEN for each one. One, zero."

"I did NOT add those zeroes!" Seteth said in frustration.

"Well, clearly you did."

Byleth took hold of the sheet of paper in question and looked at it for a moment.

"See?" said Anna. "Just like I said."

After looking it over, Byleth said, "I believe Seteth."

"Huh?!" Anna said in alarm. "But–"

"Someone tampered with this. The zeroes aren't in his signature."

"What?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Seteth, did you hand this to anyone else before it was sent to Anna?"

Seteth took a moment to stroke his short green beard as he pondered the question.

After thinking it over, Seteth said, "I do believe I handed it to the Gautier boy, along with some other letters. He would've taken them directly to the courier."

Anna and Byleth looked at each other for a moment, and then back at Seteth.

"Welp, mystery solved…" said Anna.

* * *

_This might seem like pointless filler, but it at least serves as a bonding experience for the cast._

_I kinda wish the game could've done some mass-support-building events like this. Heck, Support conversations between 3 or more people would be great for FE to have._


	42. Rumored Nuptials

_Time for my take on the Dorothea/Ingrid Paralogue, and it's going to be a significant departure from that battle in Ailell._

* * *

**Chapter 42 – Rumored Nuptials (Wyvern Moon)**

Ingrid furrowed her brow as she read the contents of a letter from her father. Yet again, her father had sent her a marriage proposal, something that always irked her. She was thinking to tear up this one like so many others.

Before she could, she heard a familiar voice as two figures strode down a nearby hall.

"I still need someone to play the role of Siegfried," Dorothea said as she walked alongside Byleth. Then, realizing that Byleth was staring off elsewhere, she said, "Hey, Professor, aren't you listening?"

Dorothea looked to see where Byleth was staring and saw Ingrid with the letter in her hands. Ingrid let out a loud sigh as she finished reading the letter.

As Byleth walked over to Ingrid to see what the issue was, Dorothea followed close behind and said, "What's the matter, Ingrid? I never hear you sigh like that."

"Oh, hi, Dorothea. And hello, Professor," said Ingrid. "Nothing's the matter. Well, nothing major."

"You don't look like it's nothing major. Then again, I suppose you always have a furrowed brow, don't you?"

"Truth be told, there's rather a lot going on. It seems that there's always something to worry about…"

"Well, what's worrying you right now?" asked Byleth.

"Now? Oh, I really did not wish to bother you with such trivialities…" Then, with a gloomy look, she added, "You see, I received a letter from my father recently."

"From Count Galatea?" asked Ingrid. "What a kind gentleman to have for a father."

"I thank you. But the content within the letter is what I find troubling."

Ingrid handed the letter over to Dorothea as she said, "Let me see!" Dorothea took a moment to look at the letter and then said, "Oh, it's a marriage proposal… For you."

As Dorothea continued to read the letter, Byleth asked Ingrid, "Have you ever met the suitor?"

"I've not met him, though I've heard his name here and there. He's the son of a minor noble family in the Empire. It's most likely that he wants the Crest of Daphnel that I bear to adorn his family name."

As Ingrid was saying this, Dorothea was still reading through the letter. But then she saw a name, and her eyes shot open in dismay.

"What is his name?" asked Byleth.

Before Ingrid could answer, Dorothea said icily, "Clovis." She then glared at Ingrid and said even more spitefully, "Clovis von Eadwald."

"Dorothea? Is something wrong?" Ingrid asked upon seeing Dorothea's expression.

"Ingrid, you CANNOT accept this proposal for any reason! Clovis is nothing more than a loathsome, selfish prick! Just like his father!"

"D-Dorothea!" Ingrid was surprised by Dorothea's outburst. "Do you know him?"

"Oh yes, I know that jerk. He tried courting me when I was a singer. Even when he knew I might be his… his…"

Dorothea's hands were shaking at this point in barely restrained fury.

It was then that Byleth's eyes shot open in realization. She remembered the name Eadwald.

"Dorothea, is he your…?" Byleth started to ask, to which Dorothea nodded.

"I'm sorry, I'm completely lost," said Ingrid. "What is this about?"

"It's just a guess at this point, but we think Clovis might be Dorothea's half-brother."

"What?!"

"Dorothea told us her father had an affair with one of his maids and then threw her and her mother out when she bore no Crest. We think Lord Eadwald is Dorothea's father."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Well, not entirely," said Dorothea. "I can't quite prove Lord Eadwald is my father, but I'm pretty damn sure he is. In any event, you need to stay far, far away from Clovis."

"He's offered a sizeable dowry, so I must at least consider it–for the sake of my family."

"Dowry? Ha! Blood money! That's all it is!"

"D-Dorothea, I–"

"The Eadwald family's whole fortune is soaked in blood. Do you want to rebuild your house with that kind of money?"

Ingrid paused for a moment to think on Dorothea's words, and then said, "Do you have any proof of that?"

"Proof? I… uh…"

"It's not that I don't believe you, Dorothea, but I'd need more than just your word to turn down this proposal. Perhaps you are simply misinformed on the subject."

"M-Misinformed?! I wouldn't go saying those things unless I knew for certain!"

"Regardless, my father would want physical evidence, not just rumors."

"F-Fine, then I'll prove it! I'll show you just the kind of snake Clovis and his father are!" Turning to Byleth, she said, "Come on, Professor!"

"Dorothea, please calm down," said Byleth. "Have you thought about how you're going to find that proof?"

The question took all the wind out of Dorothea's sails, metaphorically speaking. She hadn't actually given it any real thought.

"I… um…" Dorothea then made a loud, defeated sigh.

"In any event, Dorothea," said Ingrid. "Clovis is coming to meet with me in town later today. I have to go meet with him or it will reflect badly on House Galatea."

"Ingrid, you can't… After everything I told you about him?"

"Don't worry about me, Dorothea. I can take care of myself."

"That just makes me even more worried!"

Giving it a moment's thought, Byleth then said, "Dorothea, why don't you accompany Ingrid to meeting Clovis to make sure nothing goes wrong?"

"Well, what about you?"

"I'm going to go speak with Anna and see if she knows anything about the Eadwald family. If anything turns up, I'll join the two of you."

"Thank you, Professor Eisner," said Ingrid, "but this really isn't necessary."

"Please, just let us do this for you."

Sighing again, Ingrid said, "Very well, I accept your help."

…

A few hours later, Dorothea and Ingrid were on their way by foot to the White Wolf Inn, an establishment on the edge of town. Dorothea had taken the time to gussy up Ingrid beforehand, despite her resistance, so Ingrid's face was now drawing quite a few admirers along the way.

As another villager gave Ingrid a glance, Ingrid scoffed and said, "Dorothea, was this really necessary?"

"Hey, if you're going to be distracting Clovis while I check his dirty laundry, you've gotta look the part," said Dorothea.

"I still think you're being pessimistic. Maybe Clovis isn't like his father."

"Oh, trust me, he is. Don't let him fool you. He's a snake underneath all his pomp."

Ingrid sighed at this and said, "Don't you think you might just be assuming the worst of him? What if you're wrong?"

"If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat."

"That's… um…"

"Here we are, the White Wolf Inn." Dorothea and Ingrid stopped as the singer added, "This is where he said to meet him, right?"

"That's what it said in the letter."

Now whispering, Dorothea said, "Remember, keep him talking and give me a chance to slip into his room. I'll see if he's got anything in there."

"What if you get caught?"

Dorothea was about to shush Ingrid when the door to the inn swung open, and the singer did her best not to express disgust at the man who came out.

Clovis von Eadwald was a lean man with dark blonde hair, similarly yellow eyes, and wore an outfit that showed his money-hungry ways. A coat of arms bearing the symbol of House Eadwald ran down his left shoulder.

"Ah, Ingrid, a pleasure to meet you at last," said Clovis, his voice clearly an exaggeration of nobility in Dorothea's ears. "Your father clearly did not do you justice when he spoke of your beauty."

Dorothea immediately noticed as Clovis' eyes darted across Ingrid's features. She had to fight not to frown at him; he was just as perverted as she remembered.

"You must be Clovis," said Ingrid.

"Indeed I am. And your friend here?"

Clovis turned to look at Dorothea, and again his gaze darted over her curves. It was becoming much harder for Dorothea to maintain her composure.

"I remember her from the Mittelfrank Opera. Dorothea, was it? The Mystical Songstress? My, my, it has been some time since I last saw you. What brings you here?"

"Ingrid invited me along for this little date," said Dorothea. "She and I are in the same year at the Officer's Academy."

"Are you? Not from the same house, I take it?"

"No, Dorothea is part of the Black Eagles, while I am of the Blue Lions," said Ingrid.

"Really? Must have been rather difficult for a commoner to make her way into the Black Eagles. I myself never attended; father thought it would be a waste of time and money."

"You'd be surprised what you can learn there," said Dorothea, trying to mask her disdain.

Clovis then looked to Dorothea's thigh and, upon seeing Joyeuse strapped to it, said, "Is it customary for cadets to be armed while in town?"

"One can't be too careful these days," Dorothea said with a fake smile.

"Well, you two can tell me all about it inside. Come, come, I had the entire inn rented out for tonight. Let us have a seat so we can speak of… important matters."

Clovis swung around so that his cape flourished behind him as he walked back into the inn.

Ingrid and Dorothea took a glance at each other. It seemed Ingrid had noticed Clovis' stare as well.

"You sure you don't want to just head back right now?" asked Dorothea.

"Well, I suppose you weren't wrong about him being a lecher," whispered Ingrid. "But I still need to go in or it'll look bad for my family."

"Is something the matter?" Clovis asked from inside the inn.

"Oh, our apologies," said Ingrid. "Come on, Dorothea."

The two girls followed Clovis into the White Wolf Inn. But as they did, they failed to notice several figures look in their direction as they entered.

* * *

_I know the idea of Dorothea having a half-brother sounds a bit cliche, but I think it works. I mean, her father must've sired a bunch of kids, and had to have kept at least one even if he didn't have a Crest._

_If you need a mental image of what Clovis looks like, he'd look a lot like Zorzal from the anime of **Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri**. Yeah, that asshole._


	43. Sinister Elopement

_Things are getting dark again._

_WARNING! This chapter contains elements of attempted rape. Reader discretion is advised._

* * *

**Chapter 43 - Sinister Elopement (Wyvern Moon)**

Dorothea did her best not to let out a sigh of disdain as she watched Ingrid and Clovis at their table in the White Wolf Inn. No one else was in the establishment besides the innkeeper, who had recently brought out a platter of Grilled Herring. Ingrid, always a sucker for a good meal, was now wolfing down the dish, though Dorothea hadn't touched her meal. Clovis, meanwhile, was sipping down a glass of fine red wine, having only had a small part of his own meal. Dorothea had refused a glass, as she had never liked alcohol.

"Tell me, Ingrid, is the herring to your liking?" asked Clovis, his tone one of veiled disdain for the dish that Ingrid was devouring.

"It's quite delicious, Clovis," said Ingrid. "Tell me, what is this seasoning you've added?"

"Ah-ah, that's a little secret of mine." Then, turning to Dorothea, Clovis asked, "Does your friend not wish to have her serving?"

Doing her best to hide her distaste for her alleged half-brother, Dorothea answered, "I've never really enjoyed fish."

"Ah, what a pity. Perhaps you would enjoy something else?"

He then turned to the innkeeper and snapped his fingers expectantly. The innkeeper ran up to them and asked, "Yes, my lord?"

"Bring something else for Lady Galatea's friend, would you?"

"What would the young lady like, lord?"

Clovis turned to Dorothea, prompting her to answer, "Surprise me."

"You heard her," Clovis said as he stared the innkeeper in the eye. "Surprise her."

Giving a quick bow, the innkeeper made his way back to the kitchen to have something new prepared.

Dorothea waited a few seconds and then moved to rise from her seat as she said, "If you would excuse me, I just need to freshen myself up a little."

"Oh, but of course," said Clovis. "Take your time."

Smiling, Dorothea made her way to the back of the inn, taking a glance back to ensure Clovis was distracted by Ingrid. The two had planned it out: Ingrid would keep Clovis' attention while Dorothea searched his belongings for anything incriminating. She just had to hope Ingrid could keep Clovis' attention for long enough.

Seeing that Clovis was now chuckling as he told a rather unfunny joke to Ingrid, Dorothea slipped out of sight and up the stairs of the inn. Fortunately, she already knew which room Clovis was staying in, so she wasn't about to break into the wrong room by mistake and waste time.

Dorothea tested the handle on the door to Clovis' room. Unsurprisingly, the door was locked, but the singer had come prepared. Reaching into her belt pouch, she pulled out a pair of pins and, with a skill that others wouldn't have expected of the diva, she began to pick at the lock. It was something she had learned during her street rat days.

With a soft click, the lock opened. Dorothea quickly glanced around to make sure no one was around. Then, she slowly turned the doorknob and stole her way into Clovis' room. As soon as she was in, she shut the door behind her, turning the lock to relock the door.

Looking into the room, Dorothea was unsurprised to find it was one of the luxury bedrooms. The bed in the middle of the room was easily big enough for three people, with all manner of fine furniture and decorations. Clovis spared no expense on his own comfort, it seemed.

Dorothea began to look around the room, starting with a nearby dresser. She searched through the bundles of fancy clothing but found nothing of note. She moved on to the bed, searching under the pillows and underneath the bed itself, but again she found nothing.

She then went to the writing desk in the room, opening it up to reveal an inkwell, a used quill, and a letter in the center of the desk. The letter immediately caught her attention, as it had been written very recently. She smirked a little at this, not thinking Clovis would leave something like this in such an obvious place.

She picked up the letter and began to read it.

_My dear Vicente,_

_You will be pleased to know that I will be joining you in Magvel sooner than expected, and with a prize most valuable. Who knew Count Galatea would be so easily fooled? All I had to do was flash that dowry before him and he was more than willing to offer me his daughter. But he is a fool to think it will restore the glory of his house. Instead, it will be her blood that aids in the establishment of House Eadwald in Magvel. After all, with our fortunes failing in Fódlan, it will not be long before the source of our wealth is revealed, or before some peasant decides to come forward over our… activities._

_However, I must iterate that I am making a change in our plans. My father will NOT be joining us in Magvel; rather, I intend for him to face the wrath of Count Galatea in my stead. By the time either one figures out what has happened, I will be long gone with Ingrid and well on my way to joining you. Please do ensure that the estate is appropriately prepared for our arrival. We should arrive within a month of you receiving this letter._

_Yours in confidence,_

_Clovis von Eadwald_

_P.S. I must thank you again for the formula you sent me. Ingrid should be far more pliable thanks to you._

Dorothea was almost quaking in indignation after reading the letter. She knew Clovis wasn't to be trusted.

The sound of footsteps approaching the bedroom alerted Dorothea. Quickly she placed the letter back where she had found it and shut the desk. But as she moved toward the door, she heard the footsteps stopping in front of it.

And then she heard the innkeeper outside.

"Will you be needing anything else, milord?" asked the innkeeper.

"Not for now, servant," came Clovis' voice, and he had dropped any tone of niceties as he spoke. "Actually, when she returns, bring the Arnault girl to me. I have something I wish to discuss with my dear half-sister."

Dorothea almost gasped aloud at this and had to hold a hand over her mouth to stop herself. Clovis knew they were related?!

The sound of a key entering the door snapped Dorothea back to her situation. Dorothea's eyes bolted around the room for any place she could hide in. The door rattled for a moment, and Dorothea knew she was about to be caught red-handed.

She was about to reach for Joyeuse when the door jerked, but it did not open. It jerked again, and again did not open.

"What are you waiting for?" Clovis demanded.

"Damned locks, always getting stuck," said the innkeeper.

Dorothea had to stop herself from sighing in relief. She now had a few seconds with which to conceal herself. She immediately looked to the large closet next to the bedroom door. It looked just big enough for her to hide inside. Moving as quietly as she could, she slinked over to the closet and opened it, relieved to find it was mostly empty. She would easily fit inside.

The singer slipped into the closet and closed it around her. Darkness enveloped her, but she could still see out through a tiny crack in the closet's door.

The door to the bedroom swung open as the innkeeper let Clovis in, and again Dorothea had to stop herself from making a sound.

In Clovis' arms was Ingrid, and the blonde was completely unconscious.

"I'll leave you to your… nuptials, milord," the innkeeper said with a snicker.

Clovis made a sinister grin at this as he carried Ingrid over to the extra-large bed. The innkeeper shut the door behind him as he left.

As he dropped Ingrid on the bed, Clovis made a lecherous chuckle as he looked over his prize. Ingrid moaned softly but did not stir.

"Such a pretty little thing," Clovis said as he licked his lips. "Let's see how much prettier I can make you, dear Ingrid."

And then, as Dorothea watched with a mix of horror and fury, Clovis drew a knife and began to strip the girl of her academy uniform, cutting open her jacket first. Ingrid made a loud moan as Clovis grabbed a handful of her left breast through her undershirt.

"Not nearly as impressive as dear Dorothea's, I'm afraid," said Clovis. He gave Ingrid's breast another squeeze, as if to emphasize his point.

Clovis then moved his hand down toward Ingrid's skirt.

Dorothea could take no more. She burst out of the closet, drawing Joyeuse as she said, "Don't you lay another finger on her, Clovis!"

Caught off guard, Clovis whipped around and said, "D-Dorothea?! What a surprise!"

Dorothea raised Joyeuse toward Clovis as she said, "Step away from Ingrid, you louse!" As Clovis raised his hands and stepped off the bed, Dorothea hissed, "I saw your letter to this Vicente friend of yours."

"Did you?" Clovis dropped all pretense of gentlemanly behavior as he said, "To think you would be so nosy, my dear sister."

"I am NOT your sister!"

"Oh, but you are. Whenever Father came back from the opera, he'd always tell me how you looked so much like your mother Millia." Dorothea did her best to hide her shock at hearing her mother's name as Clovis added, "The same brown hair, those eyes…" He made a lecherous grin as he continued, "That voluptuous figure… Perhaps we should have kept you." Then, with sarcasm, he said, "Family is important, after all."

"Shut up! You and I might share the same father, but we are NOT family! And I'm not going to let you ruin Ingrid's life!"

It was then that Clovis began to laugh, something which caught Dorothea by surprise.

"What's so funny?!" Dorothea snapped.

"It's just that this is turning out better than I could ever have hoped," said Clovis. "I'll be getting two lovely consorts out of this deal."

"What?! Do you think for a second that I'd – AAH!"

Suddenly, Dorothea felt the arms of the innkeeper wrapping around her from behind, squeezing her tightly in his grip. Struggling, Dorothea lost her grip on Joyeuse, which clattered to the floor as the innkeeper held her in an iron grip.

"Now, now, little moppet, didn't you want to be surprised?" the innkeeper said in a sinister voice.

Unable to break free, Dorothea was left staring Clovis in the eye as an evil grin stretched across his otherwise handsome face.

* * *

_Red wine with fish? She should've known._

_I know some of you are gonna be squicked out by this chapter (and the next), but if you've read any of my other smutfics, you'd know I could've make this far more erotic. However, I don't see the need to bring this into truly X-rated territory; even attempted rape should get the point across that Clovis is a scumbag._


	44. Bastard Siblings

_WARNING! This chapter contains elements of sexual misconduct and attempted rape in it. You've been warned._

* * *

**Chapter 44 – Bastard Siblings (Wyvern Moon)**

Dorothea tried to thrash free of the innkeeper's grip, but the portly man held strong. The singer watched as Clovis walked slowly toward her before reaching forward and grabbing her chin between his fingers.

"To think I'd have such a beautiful sibling, Dorothea," Clovis said lecherously. "I've had many a girl thus far, but they all pale compared to you."

"I-I'd find that flattering if I didn't know better, you creep!" Dorothea hissed. "You'd better let me go or I'll–"

"You're in no position to demand anything of me, Dorothea. And I'd save your breath if I were you. You're going to need it for moaning in a minute or so."

The implication of Clovis' words made Dorothea glower in disgust at him, but the perverted noble ignored her glare as he directed his gaze down toward her impressive cleavage. He released his grip on Dorothea's chin and brought both hands to her ample breasts, grasping them through her academy uniform. Dorothea's cheeks went red at this.

"S-Stop that!" Dorothea stammered. "G-Get your hands off me, you pervert!"

With a sinister chuckle, Clovis gave her breasts a quick squeeze before releasing them. Then, to Dorothea's dismay, he reached up and grabbed the hem of her black undershirt, grasping it as well as her uniform's jacket. With a rough tug to both sides, Clovis ripped Dorothea's shirt down the middle. Dorothea gasped as shreds of fabric fell to the floor, her breasts only contained by a black bra. A second later, Clovis grabbed that article of clothing as well and tore it from her chest, and Dorothea's face went red as her breasts were now fully exposed.

The full gravity of the situation began to sink in for Dorothea as Clovis again cupped her breasts in his hands. She was going to be raped by her own half-brother.

"N-No! Stop it! Don't touch me! Get away from me, you sick– NNGH!"

Clovis took to pinching Dorothea's exposed nipples at this point, applying far too much pressure. Every squeeze and tug he made on Dorothea's chest brought a jolt of pain to the diva; it seemed he knew nothing on how to please a woman, or he was deliberately trying to hurt her.

"You must be enjoying this by now, dear sister," Clovis said menacingly.

"N-N-Not in the slightest!" Dorothea snapped. "You d-don't know a thing about h-how to please a girl, do you?!"

"Your body is more honest than your words."

As if to emphasize his point, Clovis gave Dorothea's nipples a twist between his fingers before pulling back on them, an act that made Dorothea cry out.

"AHH! T-That hurts! Stop that! I said stop, you pig! Help! Someone, help!"

Clovis laughed as Dorothea called out for help and then said, "No one will be coming to help you, Dorothea. Why do you think I had the whole inn rented out?"

Dorothea let out another wince of pain as Clovis continued to maul her chest. The lecher leaned forward and began to lick Dorothea's nipples, sending waves of revulsion through her. All the while, the innkeeper chuckled as he watched the debauchery unfold and held Dorothea in his iron grip.

It sunk in how much trouble Dorothea was in. No one was coming to help her, and she was at her half-brother's mercy, of which she was certain he had next to none. If she didn't do something soon, she was going to lose everything to him.

Her first instinct was to break free from Clovis and the innkeeper and run for help. But she then glanced over at Ingrid, who still lay unconscious on the bed. If Dorothea left her there, she'd likely never see her again.

Dorothea knew she had to save herself and Ingrid. She couldn't afford to be selfish now.

Dorothea began to channel her Mana, hoping to ready a spell. If she could cast even a weak one, perhaps she could turn the tables on her captors. She dearly hoped they wouldn't notice.

Then, Dorothea made another gasp of shock as Clovis reached under her skirt and began to rub her beneath it. She struggled again in the innkeeper's grip, but still could not break free.

"Oh my, are you truly not enjoying this?" said Clovis.

"Of course not!" Dorothea hissed. "Why would I enjoy being f-felt up by you, you prick?!"

"Well, you're going to wish you were enjoying this in a second."

Dorothea watched in horror as Clovis began to reach for his pants. She wasn't a virgin, but she had never truly been raped before, and the prospect of it terrified her. If she didn't do something soon, Clovis was going to make that a nightmarish reality.

As Clovis began to unbuckle his belt, Dorothea made her move.

Clovis made a loud, painful howl as Dorothea swung her right knee and hit him squarely in his groin as hard as she could. He stumbled back, debilitated by the pain.

The innkeeper, angered by Dorothea's act of defiance, began to tighten his grip on her, intending to squeeze her into submission.

Dorothea grabbed him by his wrist and, in a move that anyone would have considered crazy, unleashed her Mana while still touching him. Both Dorothea and the innkeeper cried out in pain as Dorothea's magic electrocuted them both, with Dorothea gritting her teeth as she tried to withstand the pain of her own spell. It was now a contest of whether Dorothea would black out first or the innkeeper would release her.

The innkeeper gave in first, his grip on her loosening as he began to collapse backward. Dorothea stopped her spell and pushed herself away from the innkeeper, collapsing to the floor on her hands and knees. She had been mere seconds away from losing consciousness. The innkeeper fell to the floor with a loud thud, not even convulsing as electricity still coursed through his overweight body.

The sound of Clovis grunting in pain kept Dorothea from blacking out. She looked up to see he was recovering from the blow she had dealt him. And out of the corner of her eye, she saw the silvery shimmer of Joyeuse on the ground just within her reach.

Dorothea quickly reached for her blade and grabbed it just as Clovis glared at her and snarled, "You insolent bitch!"

Clovis grabbed his knife and raised it over his head, intending to kill Dorothea. And then he let out an earsplitting cry of pain as Dorothea's Mythril blade jabbed into his belly.

Dropping the knife, Clovis fell backward as he clutched his wounded stomach. His hands quickly became slick with blood as Dorothea gasped for breath. Shakily, the diva rose from her knees, keeping her blade pointed at Clovis while covering her chest with her free arm. She hadn't inflicted an outright fatal wound on him, but he was sure to bleed out if he wasn't treated.

"Y-Y-You bitch!" Clovis hissed. "I'll make you pay for this!"

"Will you?!" Dorothea snapped as she thrust her blade forward, close enough that Clovis flinched back at nearly being stabbed again.

It was then that she saw it: Clovis was terrified. He was doing his best not to show it, but his eyes betrayed him. He looked like he was about to start begging for his life.

"It's over, Clovis," said Dorothea. "You've lost."

But then, after a few seconds, Clovis began to chuckle again. His chuckle soon rose into a nearly maniacal laugh at Dorothea's words.

"What's so funny this time, you slimeball?!" Dorothea hissed as she glanced to the side, hoping she wasn't about to get grabbed again. But she dared not take her eyes off Clovis.

"You think you've won, Dorothea?" Clovis said smugly. "I have a dozen of my men waiting outside. The moment they see you come out, they'll capture you, and I'll be more than happy to let them have their way with you." Releasing another dark chuckle, he added, "But don't fret; I may still consider letting you bear my children after my men have raped you into submission! That is, if you're still alive by then!"

Dorothea barely hid her dismay as Clovis began to laugh maniacally at the situation.

She was about to consider slitting Clovis' throat when a familiar voice said, "I wouldn't be so sure of your victory, Clovis!"

The voice made Dorothea's heart rise with hope as she turned to the bedroom door. As she did, it swung open, revealing Edelgard and two Church soldiers behind her.

"Edie!" Dorothea exclaimed.

After giving Dorothea a reassuring smile, Edelgard turned to Clovis and said, "Your men have already been subdued, Clovis von Eadwald. Your little scheme is at its end."

"What?! No, this can't–"

With a dramatic wave of her arm, Edelgard shouted, "Take him!"

As if on cue, the two soldiers marched forward and grabbed Clovis, hauling him to his feet and leading him out of the room amid his protests.

As soon as Clovis was gone, Dorothea let out a loud sigh of relief as she lowered Joyeuse and said, "Your timing couldn't have been better, Edie."

…

Several minutes later, Dorothea had herself wrapped up in Byleth's overcoat as the soldiers of the Church led Clovis and his men away. Ingrid had regained consciousness, but the blonde was still swaying as she sat on a nearby bench.

"I should have listened to you, Dorothea," said Ingrid in a woozy tone. "Instead I put us both in danger."

"Hey, it all worked out, didn't it?" said Dorothea.

"But Clovis almost–"

"Don't say it, Ingrid."

"I should've been here sooner," said Byleth. "I'm sorry I–"

"Professor, it's okay. I mean, yeah, he felt me up, but I held my own, didn't I?"

"Even so…"

"Besides, to be honest, stabbing Clovis was oddly satisfying. Uh, that came out wrong."

Byleth nodded at this, knowing what Dorothea meant.

"Well, I should have no problem convincing my father to reject Clovis' offer," said Ingrid. "Thank you for the help, Dorothea. And you, Professor Eisner. The evidence you got from Anna should be more than enough to see Clovis put away for a long time."

"It's more likely he'll go straight to the gallows for his crimes," said Edelgard.

Dorothea nodded at this. Deep down, though, she knew Clovis deserved it.

"House Eadwald is likely to be dissolved as a result of this incident," Edelgard continued. Then, turning to Dorothea, she asked, "Dorothea, are you going to be okay about this?"

"I might share their blood, but they are NOT my family," Dorothea answered. "As far as I'm concerned, they've had this coming."

"Dorothea…"

"Besides, I could never hand over my lovely Ingrid to some jerk who only wants her for her Crest."

Amused, Ingrid said, "Oh? Do I belong to you now, rather than to myself?"

The comment made Dorothea giggle while Edelgard smiled at seeing Dorothea in high spirits.

Then, in a more serious tone, Ingrid said, "Hey… Dorothea. This is probably more than a little awkward, considering where it came from, but… here."

Ingrid reached into her satchel and pulled something out of it. Opening her palm, everyone was shocked to see it was a lovely silver ring with a large green emerald in the center.

"A ring?" Dorothea said in shock. "Is this… No! Is it?!"

"A proposal?" Edelgard asked in confusion.

Knowing that it wasn't likely the case, Dorothea melodramatically said, "Oh, Ingrid… I accept your offer! We'll be together forever!"

Flustered, Ingrid said, "Stop teasing me, Dorothea! I'm trying to be sincere!"

Dorothea laughed at Ingrid as the blonde blushed hotly.

"Why are you carrying around a ring like that?" asked Byleth.

"Oh, it was given to me by a previous suitor as a gift. I have no real need of it, so I felt it would make a suitable reward." Turning back to Dorothea, she added, "I mean… you may already have one like it, but I thought on the off chance you didn't…"

"Ingrid, you are just adorable, and I love it," Dorothea said as she took hold of the ring.

Then, as Dorothea slipped the ring into her own satchel, Byleth asked, "Aren't you going to put it on?"

The question brought looks of confusion on all three girls' faces. And then Dorothea and Ingrid giggled at Byleth's cluelessness.

"What?" Byleth asked in similar confusion.

"Professor, you do know what it means to be wearing a ring like that in public, do you?" Edelgard asked in exasperation.

* * *

_So, how did you guys like my unique take on the Dorothea/Ingrid Paralogue? I always felt that trip to Ailell felt weird, so I went with this._

_Sorry if the rape scene grossed you out, but readers familiar with my smutfics know I've done much nastier. Don't worry; this won't be a regular thing in this story. I don't have any future plans for any other attempted rape scenes._


	45. Romantic Views

_An adaptation of the Dorothea/Edelgard B-Support is here, along with some references to some 90's classics._

* * *

**Chapter 45 – Romantic Views (Wyvern Moon)**

Edelgard knew she was already quite late. She and Byleth were supposed to be in the cathedral over half an hour ago, but a fire in the kitchens had demanded their attention. Now, both women were making a mad dash across the bridge leading to the cathedral, hoping not to be too late for what was going on within.

The Adrestian princess cursed herself. Dorothea had been preparing this play on the Ballad of Celes for weeks, with her playing the eponymous Celes, a general from the Kingdom of Faerghus who lived some 300 years ago. Celes, a legendary commander and warrior, was captured by an Imperial commander named Siegfried during a battle and taken to his castle. Though she was ostensibly a prisoner of war, she was not treated as such, for Siegfried had fallen for her the second he had laid eyes upon her. Eventually, Celes too had fallen for Siegfried, enamored by his noble spirit and compassion.

It was a well-liked romantic tale in Fódlan, though Edelgard had never seen a play done on it so far. And now she continued to berate herself silently for missing much of it.

As she and Byleth reached the giant doors of the cathedral, Edelgard was surprised to see Hubert waiting for them.

"I take it something came up, Lady Edelgard?" asked Hubert.

"Yes, a fire in the kitchen," Edelgard said as she caught her breath. "It took quite a while to put it out."

"Surely that is something the servants could have handled."

"Perhaps, but the Professor insisted that I help out."

"I'm sorry, Hubert," said Byleth. "I know Dorothea's been readying this play for a while, but people could have gotten hurt if we had done nothing."

"I am certain Dorothea will be… understanding."

With that, Hubert gave the doors a push as he opened them slowly, so as not to cause too much of a distraction. Edelgard and Byleth slipped in as quietly as they could, looking over to the center of the cathedral as they did.

A temporary stage had been set up with various props fashioned by the students. Students and faculty alike were seated in the pews, and all eyes were locked upon the star of the stage. Dorothea was dressed in a regalia that made her look like royalty, beautiful yet dressed as if for war. She was alone on the stage for now, as the sole character in the scene.

The scene being played out was following the release of Celes from Siegfried's castle, as Siegfried had allowed Celes to go back to the Kingdom to protect her from his rival, Palazzo. But by this point, Celes had also fallen for Siegfried.

Edelgard and Byleth fixed their gaze on Dorothea. She was singing, her voice carrying through the cathedral with each graceful step she took in her soliloquy.

_The way that you_

_Embrace with me with your strong and powerful arms_

_Your haunting words_

_Keep me close_

_To everything about you_

_Romantic in ways_

_In ways that almost tear upon my heart_

_Can't let you go_

_Don't you know_

_Io sono prigioniera_

_A captive in your gentle hands_

_A prisoner of your soulful eyes_

_Your special smile_

_We'll never part_

_If the morning sun should free me_

_It really wouldn't let me go_

_I'd still be caught inside your love_

_Can't rise above_

_The chains of your heart_

Even as the scene transitioned to the next phase of the play, and even as Dorothea stepped away to give time for the stagehands to do their work, Byleth and Edelgard could not help but be enthralled by the diva's song.

…

The play finished after another half hour. The crowd's applause had been audible all the way from the greenhouse. Byleth had been called away by Alois to speak with Rhea, leaving Edelgard now standing behind the makeshift stage waiting for Dorothea to come down. The singer was presently thanking the audience for their presence and applause.

It reminded Edelgard of the days she would go to the Mittelfrank Opera House in Enbarr to see Dorothea's performances. Granted, this production didn't quite compare to those at the opera house, given what Dorothea had to work with, but she had still performed the role of Celes with aplomb.

At last, Dorothea emerged behind the set and walked down to see Edelgard, continuing to hum the notes to the song Edelgard had heard when she entered the cathedral.

"My, my, you're in good spirits tonight, Dorothea," said Edelgard.

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" Dorothea said with enthusiasm. "That performance went better than I could've hoped."

"You've always had great talent in bringing history to life, Dorothea."

"Oh, stop. You're flattering me."

"In any event, I apologize for my late arrival to the play."

"Don't worry about it, Edie. That fire wasn't going to put itself out, was it?"

"I suppose not."

Dorothea took a seat in front of a mirror at this point and began removing various ornaments that had been placed in her long brown hair. Edelgard had half a mind to tell her to leave them in, but she knew Dorothea wouldn't go for it.

"Hey, Edie, what do you think about Celes' story?" asked Dorothea.

"What do you mean?"

"She was such a great warrior and yet she fell in love with someone who was supposed to be her sworn enemy. Do you think it really happened like that?"

"It does sound a little surreal, but I suppose it is entirely possible."

"I just think it's so romantic that she ended up finding true love with Siegfried. Even if it did end tragically…"

Edelgard nodded at this. The story, though quite the loving tale, wasn't one with an entirely happy ending. Siegfried had ended up murdered by his rival, Palazzo, during the final battle of their war. And though Celes killed Palazzo and avenged Siegfried, she had lost her one true love.

Sighing, Dorothea said, "I kinda wish someone like that would sweep me up into their arms and love me the way Siegfried loved Celes."

"Have you not yet found a good partner?"

"No, I'm afraid. So many boys here would only think of me as a means of increasing their wealth and influence. But I haven't given up hope yet. There's got to be someone here who'd love me for who I am."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck. I wish I had some advice to offer on the subject. Alas… I do not."

"Eh, don't worry too much about it, Edie. I'd guess romance isn't really something you're interested in anyway."

To Dorothea's surprise, Edelgard stammered a bit as she said, "I'm not… completely disinterested."

"Oh, yeah? Is there someone you have your eye on?"

"Hmm…" Edelgard took a pause before saying, "To be honest, there's nothing resembling romance in my life at present. It's not that I'm disinterested. I'm simply too busy with other endeavors. I have no time to spare for such things." She made another pause before she added, "A certain face comes to mind at the thought… though I'm not sure you could call what we have a romance just yet."

This piqued Dorothea's interest. Was Edelgard crushing on someone?

Deciding to stay on topic, Dorothea said, "That's not surprising. You're not just any old noble, after all. Anyone who has feelings for you… Well, they're in for a pretty complicated life."

Edelgard nodded and said, "True. And I can't ignore the possibility that I may have to marry for political purposes. I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity for a passionate romance as long as I live…"

"That's no way to talk, Edie," Dorothea said as she rose from her seat and clasped Edelgard's hands in her own. "You meet the right person and boom! You'll have passion to spare."

"You think so?" asked Edelgard.

"Of course! Could be someone you've just met, or someone you've known your whole life… There's no telling how life will go." Then, in a joking tone, she added, "Why, something could even spark between the two of us!"

Edelgard let out a short nervous gasp as Dorothea said this. She stood utterly transfixed by Dorothea gazing her in the eye.

After a moment of awkward silence, Dorothea then said, "Edie? Is something wrong?"

"I… I just remembered something important I had to do today! I'm sorry, I have to go!"

Edelgard jerked her hands free of Dorothea's grip and broke off in a run, leaving the diva utterly confused.

"Edie…?"

…

Edelgard kept running, all the way across the bridge of the cathedral and up to a hidden alcove in the hedgerows. She pressed her back against a wall as she caught her breath.

She was relieved that no one could see her cheeks blushing furiously.

"Dorothea…" Edelgard said to herself as she clutched a hand to her heart. It was beating frantically, and not due to the sprint the princess had just made.

"Hey, Edel! What's up?" said a familiar voice that made Edelgard jolt where she stood.

Edelgard whipped around to see Monica standing next to her, her hands behind her back as she leaned coyly toward the princess.

"Monica? What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing in particular, Edel. I just saw you running away from the cathedral in such a hurry. Weren't you seeing your singer friend there?"

"I was. She was putting on a play."

"Oh yeah, the one about that Kingdom general who fell in love with that Imperial knight." Monica then snorted as she said, "How ludicrous."

Edelgard frowned at this. She never could stand Monica's presence.

"You think such a bond foolish?" Edelgard asked, though it was more a statement than a question.

Giving a wide, unsettling smile, Monica said, "Why, of course it is! Those two were enemies who should have been trying to kill each other! If anything, that Palazzo guy had the right idea. A shame he got himself killed in the end."

"Only you would appraise the villain of such a story."

"Whatever." Monica spun around and took two steps away from Edelgard before she stopped and said, "You know what's also foolish? The way you and that singer girl hang out as though she's anywhere in your league." Melodramatically, Monica continued, "I mean, you're to be our glorious Emperor, and she's just some common street trash."

Edelgard was now visibly angry as she spun around and said to Monica, "You'll watch your tongue, you–"

To Edelgard's surprise, Monica wasn't where she had been a second before. Edelgard spun around to find the redhead was now right behind her. The princess had to fight not to show her shock at this.

"I'm just saying, Edel… Someone like her being your BFF? Well, let's just say that might make some very important people… very displeased."

Edelgard clenched her hand as she struggled to resist the urge to punch Monica in the face.

"Oh well, I gotta go," Monica said in a chipper tone. "Good luck with your mock battle, Edel!"

Monica then strode off with a snide giggle, leaving Edelgard almost quaking where she stood.

* * *

_What a little bitch, isn't she? I assume you all know Monica's deal, so you'll know why she's being like this._

_I would love to hear Allegra Clark (Dorothea's English VA) singing those lyrics. Who here can guess where they're from?_


	46. Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt 1

_Time for the big mock battle!_

_Due to length, I plan to split this into 3 parts. I don't want to go over my self-imposed word limit per chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 46 – Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt. 1 (Wyvern Moon)**

The 27th of the Wyvern Moon had finally come, and the first-year students of the Officers' Academy were now gathered at the vast, sprawling plains of Gronder Field in the Empire. Each house had themselves readied at different parts of the field, with the Black Eagles in the northern portion across a small stream.

It was time for the famed Battle of the Eagle and Lion, a mock battle that took place once per year for the first-year students of Garreg Mach. Second-year students would fight in a mock battle of the Crescent Moon War, while third-year students would fight a mock battle depicting the Battle of Tailtean, each one at different times of the year.

Across the stream, the Black Eagles stood before Byleth, each one armed with wooden training weapons rather than anything more deadly. Being a mock battle, the Church of Seiros wanted to minimize any serious injuries. Each student was also given a small platoon of Church soldiers to command, though each numbered no more than 10 soldiers apiece. Still, it was more than enough to make things crowded for the students.

Dorothea looked skyward to see a familiar green-haired girl riding above them on the back of her new Pegasus, Sumia. Seteth hadn't wanted Flayn to fight alongside the Black Eagles for a few reasons. Firstly, he didn't want his little sister getting injured. Second, she was only an honorary student, so having her leading an additional platoon would make things unfair for the Blue Lions and Golden Deer. Lastly, Seteth had instead wanted her to act as an impartial healer, ready to swoop in if someone were to be seriously injured.

The rules of the battle were simple: whichever house scored the most eliminations would win the three-way battle. Eliminations were only counted for any students who got taken out, not their subordinates, but it was the soldiers' duty to both protect their leaders and take out enemy leaders. If a student was eliminated, their platoon would be forced to leave the battlefield.

Taking a brief step away from the group, Caspar stretched his arms as he said, "Ahh, Gronder. Feels kinda good being in my home territory every now and then. I just hope we don't ruin all the grain out there."

"Professor, if it is up to you, how would you approach this battle?" asked Edelgard.

Byleth took a moment to ponder the question, and then said, "By being audacious."

"That's… an interesting answer. What do you mean by that?"

"The same thing we did back during the Great Tree Moon."

"My, my, that is bold," said Hubert. "Engaging both the Blue Lions and Golden Deer simultaneously may have worked before, but they will be ready for such a tactic this time."

"Y-Yeah, what if they gang up on us?" asked Bernadetta. "Oh, they'd flatten us for sure!"

"Only if you again decide to hide rather than fight, Bernadetta."

Bernadetta made a loud groan as she mumbled, "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

Turning back to Byleth, Hubert said, "Our strength is superior. So, if we do lose, it would be on your shoulders, Professor."

Ferdinand took this opportunity to say, "If you're not confident you can do this, just sit back and leave it to me."

"I don't think so, Ferdie," said Dorothea. "Knowing you, you'd probably have us all rush right into an encirclement."

"Dorothea, you underestimate my prowess in battle. If we were to be encircled, I would be the one to break us out."

"I'm so sure you'd be able to pull that off," Dorothea said sarcastically, which brought a look of displeasure on Ferdinand's face.

"Are you two about to fight?" asked Caspar. "Haha! Count me in! Wait, no. I think we all need to calm down."

"We have no lack of opponents," said Petra. "I am ready to go hunting for our enemies!"

"Agreed," said Edelgard.

The sound of a trumpet echoed through the plains, a sign that the Battle of the Eagle and Lion was about to begin.

"The battle is about to begin," said Edelgard. Turning to the platoon soldiers, she shouted, "The flag of the Black Eagles will soon grace Gronder Field!"

The soldiers cheered as they raised their weapons, ready to begin the fight.

…

Anna kept herself hidden in a bush overlooking Gronder Field. Technically, she wasn't supposed to be there, but she had come up with an idea for a business venture, and now all she had to do was wait for her moment. In the meantime, she smiled at the view she had, able to watch the entire battlefield.

Reaching into her pouch, the redhead pulled out a spyglass and peered through it to look on as Dimitri stepped before the Blue Lions. Spyglasses normally were frowned upon in Fódlan since the Church didn't like their uses, but Anna figured what the Church didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

She watched as Dimitri pointed his lance and shouted out to the Black Eagles and Golden Deer.

"You all should know… I am not about to go easy on you today!" shouted the prince.

Anna made a smirk at this, amused by how Dimitri always took himself too seriously. She then looked over to Claude and the Golden Deer, the young schemer twirling his bow in his hand. Though she couldn't hear what he said, she knew enough on how to read lips.

"As long as we can pull off the win, it doesn't matter how," said Claude, earning both looks of ire and respect from the other members of the Golden Deer.

Finally, Anna turned to look over at the Black Eagles, who she was personally rooting for. She watched as Edelgard flicked her hair over her right shoulder as she spoke.

"Our victory must be absolute… no matter what it may take," said Edelgard, prompting several soldiers behind her to draw their practice blades.

Behind Edelgard, Byleth readied her own practice sword with confidence. She obviously wasn't allowed to use the Sword of the Creator, but Anna knew she wouldn't need it for this fight.

"Go get'em, By," Anna said with a smile.

The merchant then looked up at a cliff that was overlooking the battleground. Archbishop Rhea watched as the students and their soldiers prepared to charge into battle.

Standing next to her, Seteth turned to a nearby flagbearer and said, "It is time."

On cue, the flagbearer raised the standard of the Church of Seiros he held, visible to all those below in the plains.

Swinging her hand forward, Edelgard shouted, "Forward, now!"

At her command, the Black Eagles and their platoons charged forward.

Raising his lance, Dimitri shouted, "For honor!" as the Blue Lions rushed into the fray.

And standing amidst the Golden Deer, Claude raised his hand wordlessly, the simple gesture enough to send the students of the Leicester Alliance forward.

As the three mock armies ran to meet one another in battle, Anna said to herself, "This is gonna be good."

"Do tell," said a taciturn woman's voice, which made Anna jolt where she sat.

Nervously, Anna turned around to see Shamir standing over her, her hand on the grip of her sheathed Dagdan karambit. The knife was shaped like the claw of a large cat.

Anna broke out in a cold sweat as she said, "H-H-Hey, Shamir? How're things with you?"

"I'll be asking the questions here," Shamir said with a glare. "What are you doing spying on the battle?"

"Spying's kind of an ugly way to put it. I'd prefer 'spectating'."

"Semantics."

"Look, I get what you're thinking: you think I'm trying to tilt the scales in favor of the Black Eagles. Well, I'll tell you right now that's not why I'm here. By doesn't need my help to win this fight."

"Really? You just assume I think you're trying to give Professor Eisner an edge?"

"Well, yeah. You're kinda giving off that vibe."

"I know you better than that, Anna. I know you're here because you're up to another one of your money schemes."

Anna laughed nervously at this, and then said, "You got me there. Yeah, I was hoping to make some quick gold here."

"How so?"

Anna then made a gesture over to another bush, this one looking somewhat fake. Shamir strode over to it and pulled off the fake cover, revealing Anna had brought a small cart filled with various drinks, fruit, and treats.

"Refreshments?" Shamir asked in confusion.

"Everyone's gonna be awfully tired once this is done, yeah? Figured I'd bring them some vittles and drinks after the fight's done."

With a sigh of disapproval, Shamir said, "And you'll probably overprice these too."

"Hey, hard to put a price on convenience."

Just then, the two women heard a loud shout coming from the field and looked back at the battle.

"Ooh! Sounds like it's getting good," said Anna. "Hey, toss me an apple, would you? One of the green ones. Oh, and you can have one on the house if you want."

Shamir sighed again, though this time it was one of acceptance. She grabbed herself a red apple while tossing a green one to Anna, and then took a seat next to Anna in order to watch the battle unfold.

…

Raphael roared as he barreled his way through several soldiers and made a beeline towards Dedue. However, the Duscuri man stepped aside and Raphael's face lit up with alarm as Annette sent a small tornado spinning at him. Raphael was promptly lifted into the air by the twister and, after being flung upwards, came back to the ground with a loud thud. He barely had a moment to rub his head before Dedue placed the edge of his practice axe to Raphael's chest. Sheepishly, Raphael laughed as he held his hands up in surrender.

…

Out in the open, Sylvain yelped as he avoided a hard swing from Leonie's lance as their two horses passed one another. Spinning his mount around, Sylvain looked back to see Leonie readying another charge, her expression showing she was rather pissed off at him.

"H-Hey, are you still mad at me for saying you were – WHOA!"

Sylvain yelped as Leonie's next strike nearly smacked him hard in the head.

"Yeah, you're still mad at me…"

"Hold still, dammit!" shouted Leonie. "You're not getting away from me that easily!"

Leonie made another charge toward Sylvain, and this time her lance found its mark, smashing into the redhead's armor and sending him tumbling off his horse. Sylvain groaned loudly as he lay on the ground, his whole body aching painfully from being unseated.

"Gotcha!" said Leonie. "That'll teach you to watch your mouth."

Knowing he was never going to live it down, Sylvain simply decided to lay on the field in defeat.

…

Claude made a slight frown as Edelgard bashed one of the yellow Church soldiers with her shield, followed up by her smacking the soldier across the head with her practice axe. The soldier fell to the ground, having been knocked unconscious.

The princess, it seemed, was taking the battle a tad too seriously.

Claude then made a loud smirk as he stepped out from behind his cover and shouted to Edelgard, "Hey Princess! Heads up! There's a rat right by your Imperial feet…"

Unexpectedly, Edelgard's eyes went wide with terror as she made a loud shriek. Her gaze whipped around, trying to find the supposed rat.

Claude almost burst out laughing at seeing this.

A second later, upon realizing there was no nearby rodent, Edelgard turned to Claude with a look of absolute fury on her face.

"How dare you make a fool of me!" Edelgard shouted. "You will not beat me with such childish tactics!"

"Ah, so the sheer terror in your eyes was… something else entirely," Claude said in amusement. "My mistake. Anyway, it was only a – WHOA!"

Claude made a loud yelp of surprise as Edelgard's axe came flying at him, almost striking him in the chest, and instead embedding itself in a tree.

"Whoa, Princess, take it easy! It was a joke!"

"You really hope to unsettle me with childish jokes, Claude? You're going to need more than that!"

Edelgard then charged right at Claude, prompting him to fire an arrow at her that struck her shield. Realizing he wasn't going to stop Edelgard in such a way, Claude spun around and beat a hasty retreat back into the trees.

"COWARD!" Edelgard shouted, electing not to follow him.

Then, realizing just how riled up she was, Edelgard brought a hand up to rub her face.

"Ugh, to think I fell for such a stupid trick…"

…

Hilda had a look of dismay on her face as Caspar punched out another one of her soldiers. So far, she had avoided doing any of the fighting herself, but now it looked like she wasn't going to have much of a choice.

Sighing, Hilda raised her practice axe and said, "Guess I gotta…"

Seeing the pinkette, Caspar said, "There you are, Hilda! You and I have a score to settle!"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Caspar?"

"You know, the way you beat me back during the first mock battle."

"Ohhh, you mean when my blouse came unbuttoned? I told you, I didn't mean to do that."

"Yeah, well, I'm not falling for that trick again! Hope you're ready!"

Caspar let out a yell as he ran toward Hilda, with the pinkette readying her axe to counter his attack. But then, as Caspar neared her, a stray arrow landed right in front of his foot, causing him to trip on it. Caspar let out a series of yelps as he stumbled forward and, as Hilda let out a cry of surprise, he crashed right into her, sending the two toppling to the ground.

"Ow… Stepped in that one…" Caspar groaned as he tried to push himself up.

But as he did, he felt something rather squishy in his hand. Rather, it was in both hands, as they were close together. Opening his eyes, he looked down to see what he was grasping.

Beneath him, laying on the ground, Hilda's cheeks were turning beet red at the realization that Caspar had his hands on her breasts, grasping them through her shirt.

Hilda let out a loud shriek, prompting Caspar to release his hold on her chest as he stammered, "Hilda, I'm sorry! It was an accident! I swear I didn't mean to–"

Caspar's protests were silenced as Hilda smashed him across the head with her axe so hard that he immediately lost consciousness.

* * *

_Hilarious._

_Stay tuned for the next part, but I'm going to spoil you on something that's coming: Dorothea VS Felix, one-on-one._


	47. Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt 2

_More mock battle shenanigans! This one was way longer than I originally intended._

* * *

**Chapter 47 – Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt. 2 (Wyvern Moon)**

Bernadetta shrieked in her usual panic as she tried to flee from Ingrid, who flew atop Celdia. Bernadetta might have been considered the fastest sprinter of the first-year students, but even she could not outrun a Pegasus.

"AAH! Please have mercy, Ingrid! Leave me alone!" Bernadetta cried.

"How long do you plan on running, Bernadetta?" Ingrid asked in some exasperation. She had been chasing the girl for a good five minutes now.

It was then that Bernadetta's pace slowed as she started gasping for breath. Despite how fast she was, she never had the stamina to back it up. As she slowed, Ingrid urged Celdia forward. The Pegasus whinnied as it swooped down, and Ingrid readied her practice lance to strike.

"This should do the trick!" Ingrid said as she thrust her lance at Bernadetta.

The purple-haired girl let out a shriek as Ingrid's lance caught on her hood and hoisted her into the air. Bernadetta dropped her bow as she let out scream after scream of terror. Ingrid pulled back on Celdia's reins and the Pegasus went upward, hovering over a deep portion of the stream.

"AAAHHHHHH! Put me down! PUT ME DOWWWNNN!" Bernadetta screamed.

"As you wish," Ingrid said with a smile, jerking her lance as she did.

Bernadetta let out another shriek as she was dropped around ten feet into the water below, landing with a loud splash.

Smiling at her success, Ingrid said proudly, "Had enough yet, Bernadetta?"

Then, her smile turned to a look of alarm as Bernadetta floundered at the top of the water and screamed, "H-H-HEEELP! G-GLUBB! HELP! I CAN'T SWIM!"

Realizing her mistake, Ingrid urged Celdia to fly just above the water's surface, allowing her to lean over and extend her lance toward the panicking Black Eagle girl.

"Grab onto my lance, Bernadetta!"

Still shrieking in panic as she tried not to drown, Bernadetta swung her hands wildly as she tried to grab Ingrid's lance. After a few seconds, she finally grabbed hold of it and pulled, far harder than Ingrid had expected.

"WHOA! Bernadett – AAH!"

Ingrid yelped as she was unseated from Celdia by Bernadetta's surprise pull, yanking her into the water alongside her. Seconds later, Ingrid burst from the surface as Bernadetta flailed around in panic, trying to grab onto her. Unfortunately, this threatened to drag Ingrid back under.

"B-Berna – ACH! S-Stop that! C-Calm down or– MMPH!"

Ingrid was briefly forced back underwater as Bernadetta screamed, "HEEEELP MEEEE!"

Meanwhile, on the shoreline, Linhardt observed the calamity with a bemused look on his face. He had intended to avoid fighting the battle as much as possible, only healing the others if necessary. However, he couldn't help but chuckle as Ingrid finally managed to grab hold of Bernadetta and started swimming them both back to shore.

By the time Ingrid had brought Bernadetta back onto solid ground, she was exhausted. The purple-haired girl's thrashing had made the effort far more taxing than needed. She coughed loudly as she tried to catch her breath.

And then, she heard Linhardt say, "Well, well, lucky me."

Ingrid looked up to see Linhardt standing over her with his subordinates, the soldiers training their practice weapons on them.

"I'd say you're pretty much caught," Linhardt added.

Ingrid let out a loud groan of frustration as she slammed her fist on the ground, not taking such an embarrassing loss well at all.

…

Lysithea let out a scowl as she panted loudly from exhaustion. She hadn't expected Hubert to be such a difficult opponent, but even her powerful sorcery wasn't working against him. He had been continually putting himself behind his subordinates, leading to Lysithea's spells striking them instead of him. Now only the two of them faced each other, their subordinates either too injured or having lost consciousness.

"I'm shocked you made it easy for me, Lysithea," Hubert said with smug arrogance. "Your magic may be extraordinarily powerful, but you clearly lack the stamina to keep it up for long."

Lysithea let out a shout as she shot another Miasma Δ spell at Hubert, who raised a magical ward and blocked the attack.

"And despite your power, your defenses remain lacking!"

Hubert then countered with a Mire β spell. Lysithea raised her own magical ward, but it quickly shattered to Hubert's attack, which sent the white-haired girl to the ground with a yelp. Lysithea struggled to stand as her whole body ached in pain.

Hubert strode over toward Lysithea with a chuckle. This was proving too easy. He knew Lysithea had to be out of Mana by this point; she always tended to pour too much of it into each spell she cast rather than conserve it.

"The result is clear: you've worked hard for nothing."

Then, as Hubert loomed over her, Lysithea said, "Don't…"

"Hmm? Are you going to beg for mercy now?"

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

Lysithea's eyes glowed as her body surged with magical energy. Shocked, Hubert saw the Major Crest of Gloucester manifest over her body as Lysithea channeled an incredible amount of Mana.

It only took a second for Hubert to realize what Lysithea had planned.

"Y-You wouldn't dare!"

Hubert raised his hand to strike the girl, but it was too late. Lysithea let out a defiant shout as she slammed an open palm to the ground, creating a complex magic symbol beneath them. Then, from the sigil, a dark explosion erupted and engulfed them both.

Around the two, the recovering soldiers looked on in shock, fearing the mock battle might have taken a turn for the worst.

The dust cleared, revealing Lysithea and Hubert were both still alive. Hubert lay on the ground clutching his bleeding side in pain, while Lysithea had ended up lying on her back, her eyes in a daze as she groaned dizzily, her outfit in tatters.

In terms of the mock battle, it would be considered a mutual elimination.

…

Ignatz shook in his boots as he looked around the small forest he had entered, trying to find some sign of Petra. The Brigid girl had been picking off his subordinates one by one while keeping her own outside the trees to cut off any escape. Now Ignatz was alone, and he knew his only chance was to find Petra first.

What he didn't realize, however, was that Petra had already found him.

Above the bespectacled Golden Deer, Petra was perched atop a tree branch, as quiet as a mouse and ready to pounce on her prey. It was a technique she had used for years for hunting, both in Brigid and in Fódlan.

The rustling of leaves above him caught Ignatz's ear, and he realized he was as good as doomed. He yelped as he tried to spin around to Petra's attack, but she landed on him as soon as he started, knocking him to the ground. His glasses flew off him as he did, leaving him pinned to the forest floor beneath the princess of Brigid, his right arm pressed against his back.

"I am having caught you, Ignatz!" said Petra. "You have gotten the – um, you have been defeated!"

"Ow, OW!" Ignatz yelped. "P-Petra, I yield! I yield! L-Let go of my– AGH!"

"Are you giving the surrender?"

"Y-Yes! I said I yield! That means I give up!"

Petra smiled as she released her grip on Ignatz's arm, letting the boy stand himself back up as he nursed his sore limb. Then, Ignatz went down on his hands and knees as he began searching the forest floor.

"Ignatz? Why are you crawling?" Petra asked.

"M-My glasses. I can't see without them."

"Glasses…? Ah, yes! Transparent lenses for viewing things."

"Yes, exactly, yes. Where did they go?"

"Hmm, your face looks different without the glasses."

"Ah, well, I dropped them. That's why I'm looking for them."

Looking down, Petra saw Ignatz's glasses on the ground and knelt to pick them up.

"Are these them?"

Looking up, Ignatz could barely make out Petra holding onto his glasses.

"Y-Yes, there they are! Thank you, Petra!"

Ignatz expected Petra to give him back the eyewear, but Petra hesitated for a moment.

"Umm, Petra?" Ignatz asked.

"Ignatz, may I be borrowing your glasses for a moment?" asked Petra. "I have curiosity."

"You want to try them on? Well, alright, but please, don't break them."

"I have gratitude."

Petra stood as she slipped the round lenses in front of her eyes, and immediately her vision became a dizzying blur. Her head began to swim from the disorienting view, and she began to stumble around.

"The world appears… blurred… My head feels dizzy. The danger of being sick is now – AH!"

Petra yelped as her forehead struck a low tree branch. The girl nursed her forehead as she removed the glasses, restoring her vision.

"Petra, are you okay?" Ignatz asked with concern.

"I have soreness on my head." Handing the glasses back to Ignatz, she said, "I do not have friendliness with the glasses. Like Heroes' Relics, only certain people can be using them."

Ignatz couldn't help but laugh at this observation.

…

Lorenz sat proudly atop his steed as his men rushed against those led by Ferdinand. The orange-haired noble had made a bold charge to engage the Golden Deer, one Lorenz had taken upon himself to intercept.

But as he rounded another bend, he saw Claude being pursued through the woods by Edelgard. The Imperial Princess looked mad as a hornet. Lorenz scoffed at this; Claude had likely done something idiotic and had rightfully earned Edelgard's wrath.

"Hey, Lorenz, why are you just sitting there?!" shouted a tomboyish voice.

Lorenz turned to see Leonie riding toward him atop her own horse. She had apparently lost her platoon.

"Leonie, whatever are you talking about?" said Lorenz.

"What am I – Are you serious?! Claude's in trouble! We gotta help him!"

"Claude surely got himself into his current mess, and he can surely get himself out of it."

"Don't give me that crap! Edelgard looks like she–"

"Leonie, what have I told you before about using such foul language in my presence?"

"What are you, my mom? She swears a helluva lot more than I do."

"That does not give you cause nor reason to expound such profanity."

Leonie, ticked off at Lorenz's holier-than-thou attitude, said, "Well, boo-hoo, mister proper etiquette! In case you haven't noticed, we're in a battle, so shut your damn trap and–"

Now angry with the Sauin girl's antagonism, Lorenz said, "Leonie Pinelli, if you continue to spout such uncouth expletives, I will have no choice but to–"

The two stopped their bickering as the shouting of men rang through their ears.

"Look out!" one of Lorenz's subordinates shouted.

Lorenz and Leonie looked to see two platoons of the Black Eagles' subordinates come charging over a small hill. A second later, Ferdinand emerged on the hilltop on his horse, and directed his lance at the squabbling Golden Deer students.

"Make them tremble!" Ferdinand shouted, driving his men forward.

There was no time to react. Ferdinand's surprise attack overran Lorenz and Leonie, as well as the Golden Deer subordinates. The two Golden Deer students quickly found themselves knocked off their horses as they were enveloped in the cloud of dust kicked up by Ferdinand's troops.

As the dust settled, Ferdinand proudly raised his lance and said, "You two should be honored to fall before me!"

On the ground, Lorenz could only groan in humiliation while Leonie slammed her fist on the ground and let out a very loud "DAMMIIIITTTT!"

…

"I give up…" said Marianne to Dimitri as she raised her hands. The prince was standing before her with his lance in hand while their subordinates fought it out.

"Marianne, you haven't even cast a single spell yet," said Dimitri. "You know you are required to fight for the sake of the Golden Deer and for the sake of tradition."

"B-But I… I wouldn't stand a chance against you."

"You won't know that if you don't try."

"I just… I'm sorry, but I can't!"

Sighing, Dimitri then said, "I'm afraid I must insist that you fight. If not for the sake of the battle and tradition, then for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Over the past several months, I recall having to rescue you from peril more than a few times." Marianne blushed at the memories as Dimitri added, "And though I did not expect reward for it, I do believe I have earned the right to ask a boon of you. And I would ask that you give your all in facing me."

"I… I…" Marianne was at a loss for what to do.

Dimitri made another sigh. He then raised his lance and said, "I see you leave me no choice. If you will not attack first, then I will!"

Marianne's face lit up with shock as Dimitri took a swing at her. The blow was clearly intended to miss, but Marianne bolted back in fright all the same.

"D-Dimitri! I said I gave up!" Marianne shrieked.

"I will not accept that, Marianne! I won't have you simply handing me a victory!"

Dimitri made another warning swing, and again Marianne dodged back. She then whirled around and began running away from Dimitri, but the prince easily kept pace with her.

Marianne turned back to look at Dimitri as he pursued her, and then she made a loud shriek as her foot struck a tree root and sent her toppling to the ground. Almost panicking, she turned herself to face Dimitri as she lay on the soil.

"Running away isn't going to help you, Marianne!" Dimitri said with a smile. He then spun his lance and rushed in for the attack.

Marianne let out a scream as she thrust her hands out, unleashing a Blizzard spell. The icy magic quickly froze Dimitri's legs. The prince let out a yelp as he tripped and dropped his lance as he fell forward, landing right on top of Marianne.

A second later, both Marianne and Dimitri had a vivid blush across their cheeks. Marianne's pupils narrowed in shock and embarrassment. Her expression trembled as her mind processed what had just happened.

Their lips touched one another's. Dimitri, through no fault of his own, had just stolen her first kiss.

Dimitri pushed himself off Marianne and said, "Marianne, m-my sincerest apologies! I did not mean to–"

Marianne barely heard a word of Dimitri's apology before she fainted.

…

Ashe made a nervous chuckle as Byleth leveled her practice sword toward his face, having already broken his bow. The grey-haired boy raised his hands in surrender.

"I'm still no match for you, it seems," Ashe said to Byleth.

"You did better than before," Byleth replied.

"I guess so. Anyhow, I suppose I'll need to head back to the Knights' camp and watch the rest of the battle. Best of luck out there, you two!"

Byleth and Dorothea made a nod to this as Ashe and his subordinates left the central hill. The two now had a central view of the rest of the battlefield.

Byleth looked down at the battle. The Golden Deer were reeling by this point, with only Hilda, Hanneman and Claude still up. The Black Eagles had lost Hubert and Caspar, while the Blue Lions had lost Sylvain, Ingrid and Ashe.

Looking down to the south, Byleth saw Dedue and Annette moving to retake the hill.

Briefly turning to Dorothea, Byleth said, "Head right and try to get Mercedes. I'll handle Annette and Dedue."

"Right, Professor!"

With that, Dorothea gave a quick order to her subordinates to stay with Byleth, then broke off and made her way down the western slope of the central hill. She turned as she ran to see Byleth dodge a blow from Dedue and then a spell from Annette. Byleth then kicked Dedue so he tumbled back and almost rolled over Annette, the girl jumping out of the way.

Just then, a loud 'thwack' caught Dorothea's attention. She turned back in the direction she had been going and immediately skidded to a halt.

Felix stood before her, his wooden blade at the ready.

* * *

_I know this chapter kinda focused more on the other students than on Dorothea, but this gives the battle more personality._

_Also, I know some people are saying I'm getting things wrong between pairings such as Caspar/Hilda, but some of those comments aren't thinking about the timeskip (i.e. Hilda doesn't really have the hots for Caspar until their luggage-filled A-Support). And sorry if the Golden Deer are kinda getting thrashed here; hopefully Hilda can turn things around._

_Also, as a side note, did no one really understand the references I made in Chapter 45?_


	48. Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt 3

_Part three!_

_Also, more alluring clothing damage!_

_And yes, this time, we get Dorothea VS Felix._

* * *

**Chapter 48 – Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt. 3 (Wyvern Moon)**

Hilda could not believe her luck. Bernadetta and Linhardt were together, along with their subordinates, in a perfect spot to be ambushed. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but Bernadetta's panicky movements and expression showed her reluctance to continue participating in the battle.

Hilda turned to her remaining subordinates. She had only four out of ten of her original group left, not including herself, but thankfully she had managed to link up with Claude's group. Claude was still trying to outrun Edelgard, who seemed mad as a hornet as she chased him through the trees.

"What are your orders, Hilda?" asked one of the Church soldiers.

Hilda gave her troops a magnanimous smile as she outlined her plan.

…

"We should just stay put for now, Linhardt!" said Bernadetta. "The Professor can handle the rest, right?"

"I doubt Professor Eisner will approve of that, Bernadetta," said Linhardt. "Much as I'd like to have a nap right now, she'd surely assign us stable duty if we tried to skip out on the rest of the battle."

"Oh, but I–"

The two were interrupted by a chorus of shouts coming from atop a nearby hill. Alarmed, the two turned to see Hilda standing on top, leaning forward alluringly with her axe behind her back as her troops rushed down the side of the hill.

Bernadetta let out of shriek of terror as Hilda's force slammed into the Black Eagle troops. She barely managed to avoid being trampled by Hilda's platoon, but now found herself with her back to a dirt wall. Terrified, she looked over to see Linhardt attempting to back away from the fight, only for Hilda to rush down and hook her practice axe behind his left leg, tripping him and sending him to the ground on his back.

Nonplussed, Linhardt looked up as Hilda held her axe toward his chest. He raised his arms and said nonchalantly, "I surrender."

"Sorry, did I hurt you?" Hilda asked sweetly.

"Nothing a quick nap won't fix."

Then, as Hilda turned to Bernadetta, the purple-haired girl shrieked as she said, "Ah! I give up! I give up!"

"Phew, thanks. I was worried I was going to have to chase you." Hilda then swept a hand through one of her pink twintails as she said, "I hate getting all sweaty."

Linhardt and Bernadetta looked at her in some disbelief. The pinkette had barely done anything in the ambush.

…

Hanneman held a hand to his chin as he watched his subordinates fight against those led by his long-time rival, Manuela. He was waiting for her to make the first move.

As Manuela deftly disarmed a soldier and then whacked him on the head with her practice sword, she turned to Hanneman and said, "Are you gonna let your boys do all of your fighting?" Then, with a smirk, Manuela said, "Looks like the Golden Deer are losing this year."

"The battle is not over yet, Manuela," said Hanneman. "Perhaps you should be more concerned with Professor Eisner at this moment."

"Huh?"

Manuela turned to look at the central hill, and her eyes widened with dismay. Byleth had just pinned Dedue to the ground on his back, holding her wooden blade to his neck and forcing him to surrender. Meanwhile, Annette was trying to flee as Petra came out of a set of bushes, but it was clear the Brigid princess was going to catch the short orange-haired mage. At the same time, Felix was squaring off against Dorothea, neglecting to help the other Blue Lions.

Manuela's shock gave Hanneman the opportunity he had been waiting for. He launched a Sagittae spell toward the physician, but Manuela whipped her gaze back toward him and narrowly avoided the attack.

"HEY! That was such a cheap shot!" Manuela snapped.

"You allowed yourself to be distracted, Manuela. It is only prudent that I take advantage."

"Well, let's see you handle this!"

Manuela raised her hand, creating a white complex magical circle before her. White magic energy surged around Hanneman and condensed upon him, intended to disrupt his own magic. It was a Silence spell, a complicated but useful bit of Faith magic, capable of rendering an enemy mage helpless for a limited time.

To Manuela's dismay, the spell fizzled out as it hit Hanneman, having no effect.

"What the?!"

"I am well-prepared for that spell, Manuela," said Hanneman. "You will not find it so easy to suppress my spellcraft."

With that, Hanneman launched another Sagittae spell, and this time Manuela failed to avoid it. The physician yelped loudly as the spell battered her, while also tearing up her revealing outfit. Immediately she swung an arm over her massive breasts to cover herself, dropping her practice sword as she tried to keep together what remained of her seductive dress.

Hanneman, having already seen more of Manuela's body than he cared to admit, was not fazed by the alluring sight, despite that several of the Church soldiers were now catcalling and whistling at Manuela's disheveled state. Manuela, meanwhile, growled furiously at Hanneman for being so thoroughly humiliated.

With a smirk, Hanneman asked, "Do I take this as your surrender?"

With another growl, she said, "F-Fine! But you won't be so lucky in the next mock battle, you hear me?! I'll get even with you, you old geezer!"

"O-Old geezer?!"

…

"Mercie, help!" Annette yelped as she ran as fast as she could from Petra.

"Don't worry, Annie," Mercedes said soothingly. "Leave it to me."

Annette ran past Mercedes, who nodded at her as she went past, and hid behind a large rock as Petra skidded to a halt in front of Mercedes. Petra spun her short wooden blade in her hand, ready for a fight.

"Mercedes, I will be getting the victory in this fight!" said Petra.

"My, my, you're really fired up today," said Mercedes.

"Fired up? But I am not burning. I would be knowing if I was burning."

"Umm, that's not what 'fired up' means. It means you're really enthusiastic about something."

"Ah, I have understanding. You are having my gratitude."

"I think you meant to say, 'Thank you'. You must be having such a hard time learning how to speak Fódlish."

"I am having… difficulty with it. It is very differing from my… er, different from my people's words."

"I can imagine so. I don't think I've ever heard someone speaking in Brigidese. What are some words in it?"

"You are wishing to be learning my language?"

As Mercedes let out a smile, Annette readied a spell from behind the rock. Mercedes' distraction was working, and now Annette just had to hit Petra to knock her out of the fight.

But then Petra's expression turned to one of realization as she said, "Hold on, you are making the distraction! I will not be losing to your tricking!"

Petra then rushed up to Mercedes, raising her wooden blade to threaten her.

"O-Oh dear, I guess you found me out," Mercedes said with a smile.

It was Annette's chance. The girl sprang out from her hiding place.

"Surpri – AIEE!"

Annette yelped as she tripped on a rock, releasing her spell off target.

A second later, both Petra and Mercedes let out yelps as they were both hit by the spell.

Annette shook her head as she said, "Doh, stupid rock! Why am I so clums– EEEH?!"

Looking up, the orange-haired girl saw that Mercedes and Petra both had their hands wrapped around their torn uniforms, which threatened to burst open from a series of cuts. Miraculously, neither of the girls were physically harmed; only their clothes had been damaged. Mercedes was having a hard time containing her enormous breasts.

"AAH, I'm sorry, Mercie! I didn't mean to do that!" Annette stammered.

"I-I know, Annie," Mercedes said as she blushed. "T-This is awfully…"

"I have embarrassment," said Petra.

The ordeal was counted as both an elimination for the Blue Lions and one for the Black Eagles, who got the credit for Mercedes being eliminated.

…

Claude had finally run out of places to run. Edelgard had chased him all the way to the boundary of the battlefield, and if he ran any further it would count against the Golden Deer. Seteth was now hovering before him on his wyvern, Hyperion, having just given Claude his warning about leaving the battlefield.

Claude turned to look at Edelgard, who was still mad at him. Laughing nervously, he said, "Guess you caught me, Princess. I've really stepped in it this time, haven't I?"

"You don't know the half of it, Claude!" Edelgard seethed. "If this weren't a mock battle, I'd have your head for your little stunt!"

"Whoa, all that over a little joke? Come on, how was I supposed to know you were afraid of–"

"Utter one more syllable and I'll break your jaw, Claude!"

"Calm yourself, Edelgard!" commanded Seteth. "Do not dishonor the Black Eagles with such conduct!"

This prompted Edelgard to take a deep breath as she simmered down, but only slightly. She readied her shield as Claude drew his bow, the schemer intending to go down swinging.

Then, with a smirk, he murmured, "Squeak, squeak…" This made Edelgard's face contort in fury again.

Claude released his arrow, aimed at Edelgard's leg, but Edelgard saw this coming and blocked the shot with her shield. As Claude moved to draw another arrow, Edelgard charged him. Before Claude could draw his bow again, Edelgard raised her shield and brought it down on his head, bashing him to the ground. As he lay with a loud groan, Edelgard brought the rim of her shield down upon his neck.

"This should teach you a lesson, Claude!" Edelgard hissed as she began to apply pressure on Claude's neck, choking him.

In an instant, Seteth's lance shot forward, the tip barely touching Edelgard's neck.

"That is enough, Edelgard!" Seteth snapped. "Release him. You have won."

Again, Edelgard had to take a deep breath before removing her shield from Claude's neck.

"I do not know what he said to rile you so, but if you act this way toward your fellow students again, I will see that you are severely punished. Is that clear?"

Edelgard could only nod affirmatively as she cursed herself under her breath.

…

Felix paced to his right as Dorothea readied a stance with her wooden sword. She wasn't allowed to bring Joyeuse, and there weren't any wooden Rapiers to speak of, so the weapon wasn't of the same balance. Felix made a small "Tch" as he looked at Dorothea's stance; it wasn't as bad as during the first mock battle, but it was still fairly amateurish.

The two faced off alone, neither one having brought any of their subordinates with them. Dorothea's men were helping Byleth, while Felix had opted not to have any support, preferring to fight alone. Given his skill, Dorothea thought, he likely didn't need the help.

"Try not to make this easy for me, Arnault," said Felix.

"Do you always have to be so smug?" Dorothea snapped.

Felix said nothing to this, and then rushed toward Dorothea. The girl managed to parry his first strike, but she stumbled back as a result. He made a second swing, which Dorothea leapt back from.

Dorothea knew she couldn't beat him like this. Despite that she was now learning proper swordsmanship, Felix had far more training and experience. Facing him in a sword duel was only going to result in her losing.

She needed to even the odds.

Dorothea spun around and broke into a run.

"Get back here, woman!" Felix shouted as he gave chase.

Dorothea briefly looked over her shoulder to see Felix was catching up. She wasn't going to be able to get away from him.

But unbeknownst to Felix, Dorothea wasn't trying to get away.

Two minutes later, the two reached the shallows of the northern stream. Felix was almost right on top of Dorothea. She spun around just in time to block another swing from Felix, this blow fueled by the power of his Major Crest of Fraldarius. Dorothea yelped as she was knocked back and rolled a short bit through the stream, becoming soaked as she did, but she quickly stood back up and reassumed her stance.

Felix was on her in a second, locking his blade with hers and, with a controlling swing, sent the wooden blade flying from her grip. Felix followed up with another swing, but Dorothea again jumped back and avoided the hit.

"I thought I told you not to make this easy for me!" said Felix.

The two combatants stood still as they glared at one another. Dorothea, panting for breath, then moved her hands and prepared for a spell. Felix assumed a defensive stance.

Dorothea knew Felix was expecting her to do this. After how she had taken him down during the first mock battle, she knew he'd be ready for her magic. And he was certainly fast enough that he could avoid one of her spells.

But now she had him right where she wanted him.

"Take your best shot, Arnault," Felix said confidently.

"I have just three words for you, Felix," said Dorothea as she made a wide smile and electricity began to crackle from her fingertips.

It was at that moment that Felix realized just what Dorothea had planned. He briefly looked down at his legs, and saw he was standing knee-deep in the stream while Dorothea was now on dry land.

Before Felix could act, Dorothea shouted, "TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!"

Dorothea unleashed her Thoron spell right at the stream, instead of directly at Felix. The water became electrified and Felix let out several loud yelps of pain as he was electrocuted. Dorothea was far enough away from the water that she wasn't also shocked by her spell, despite still being soaking wet.

Five seconds later, Dorothea's spell ended, and the water lost its electrical charge. Felix made a loud groan of pain as he fell to his knees, and then fell face-first into the water.

"How do you like that, Felix?" Dorothea said proudly as she spun around dramatically to take a pose. "I'm not as weak as I… look…?"

Dorothea looked down at Felix, and her proud expression faded away as she saw he wasn't moving. He was still face-down in the water. It had been a good ten seconds since he had fallen in.

Dorothea's heart froze.

"Felix? Felix?!"

Dorothea rushed over to Felix and pulled him to the shore, turning him over as she did. As his face came out of the water, he made a grimace of pain, and Dorothea finally saw the extent of the damage she had done to him. He had several electrical burns on him, and his body was now twitching uncontrollably.

"Oh no… Oh nonono… What… what have I done?" Dorothea said fearfully.

Dorothea immediately tried casting a Heal spell on him. However, his injuries proved quite severe, and her magic proved unable to heal his wounds.

"Nononono… F-Felix, I'm sorry! I didn't want this!"

The whinny of a Pegasus caught her attention, and Dorothea looked up to see Flayn flying down toward her on Sumia. The green-haired girl had an expression of concern.

"F-Flayn!" Dorothea stammered. "I'm sorry, I-I-I didn't mean to hit him so hard! I wasn't trying to–"

"Calm yourself, Dorothea, all will be well," said Flayn as she dismounted Sumia.

Flayn then knelt next to Felix as the boy wheezed painfully. Her hands glowed as her own healing magic poured into Felix's body, and the Major Crest of Cethleann shimmered in Flayn's green eyes. Flayn's healing magic was far more potent than Dorothea's, as Felix's wounds quickly began to convalesce. The burns on his body faded and his twitching subsided.

Felix's eyelids began to flutter.

"Felix? Are you well?" asked Flayn.

"O-Ow…" Felix groaned.

Flayn let out a contented sigh as she said to Dorothea, "He will be alright."

"Oh, thank goodness…" Dorothea sighed as she held a hand to her chest. "I just… I didn't mean to hurt him that badly. I–"

"Even the greatest mages can lose control every now and again," Flayn interrupted.

"Even so, I just…"

"Well… played… D-Dorothea…" Felix moaned.

Dorothea made a short gasp at this. Felix never called her by her first name.

"I will see that he receives proper care," said Flayn. "I am certain your friends have need of you to finish the battle."

"O-Oh, yes… Thank you, Flayn."

With that, Dorothea stood up, retrieved her practice blade, and began to walk toward the center of the battlefield, hoping to rejoin with Byleth.

* * *

_Tell me, was this battle a bit too raunchy?_

_I know some people may find all the clothes-ripping to be weird, and primarily directed at the girls, but hey, I'm a fan of curvy girls. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

_And yes, I know that canonically Manuela and Hanneman don't participate in this battle, but remember, in my story, Manuela didn't get stabbed by the Death Knight. So she gets to fight the old geezer and get her ridiculous curves exposed. :P_

_Looks like this is gonna go to 4 parts! Joy!_


	49. Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt 4

_And now the finale of the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Wow, this was long. Multiple chapters nearly at my self-imposed word limit._

_NOTE! Contains gratuitous groping. XD_

* * *

**Chapter 49 – Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt 4 (Wyvern Moon)**

Ferdinand took a moment to comprehend what he was seeing, and upon doing so he blushed as he averted his gaze. Mercedes and Petra were both still in the shredded tatters of their uniforms, the result of Annette's misfired spell not even a minute prior. Mercedes and Petra were now looking back at Ferdinand, and though Mercedes let out a shriek of embarrassment, Petra was not nearly as flustered.

"M-My apologies, Mercedes!" Ferdinand stammered. "I did not expect you to be in such a state of undress!"

"I-It's not your fault, Ferdinand!" Mercedes said meekly. "Oh my, this is much worse than when I forgot my uniform that one time!"

"Could you please vacate the field so I may continue this battle without offending your privacy?"

Ferdinand waited for a moment as he listened for footsteps. After several seconds, he turned back to where Mercedes and Petra had been. Mercedes had retreated but, to Ferdinand's dismay, Petra was still there, and still had plenty of her tanned skin on display. He could almost see one of her breasts about to fall out of her shirt.

"P-P-Petra! I'm sorry, but should you not be going with M-Mercedes?!"

"I do not have understanding," said Petra. "If Annette was the one who got the victory from Mercedes, does that mean the scoring goes to the Blue Lions?"

"N-No, I do not believe so! Please, Petra, leave the field and get yourself a new uniform!"

"But if I were to be getting the victory from you, would that not have gotten the scoring for the Black Eagles?"

"Please, ask Seteth or someone else from the Church these questions! I do not– GYAAH!"

Suddenly, a swirling tornado appeared around Ferdinand and his steed, lifting both into the air while slicing at Ferdinand's armor. It was the most advanced Wind spell known in Fódlan: Excalibur. Seconds later, Ferdinand and his horse plummeted to the ground, the steed letting out loud whinnies of pain as it scrambled to its feet and ran off.

Ferdinand groaned as he tried to right himself and looked up to see the one who had defeated him. Annette was cheering to herself as she jumped up and down.

"Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Go Annette! Go Annette! Go Annette! Go Anne– BAH!"

Just as Annette made another jump for joy, her head struck a practice axe that had been suspended over her head. The blow was enough to knock her down onto her rear as she rubbed her sore head.

"Oww… Who did that…?" Annette then looked up to see a familiar pinkette was her assailant.

"Sorry, Annette," said Hilda. "That must've hurt."

"H-Hilda! That wasn't fair!"

"All's fair in love and war, you know." Hilda made a wink as she said this.

On the ground, Ferdinand could only let out another groan as he slumped onto his back.

…

Professor Hanneman let out a loud groan as Dimitri's lance smacked him in his gut. The prince had landed a solid blow after dodging Hanneman's spell, bringing the Crest scholar to his knees. Hanneman caught his breath as he looked up at Dimitri, knowing he was finished.

"I concede, Prince Dimitri," said Hanneman. "You have fought excellently today."

"Not well enough it seems," Dimitri said as he looked back at Gronder Field.

"Indeed. It would appear you are the last standing member of the Blue Lions. Of course, now that Claude and I are out of the battle as well, our own hopes rest with Hilda."

"Then I apologize, but I do not intend to lose to her."

"Then, out of fairness, I wish you the best of luck. May the best warrior triumph."

As Hanneman made his way off the battlefield, Dimitri turned to watch as Annette sulked at Hilda's feet. He was about to make his way to her when a familiar voice stopped him.

"I hate to impose on you, Dimitri, but you will have to face me first."

Dimitri turned to see Edelgard approaching him, the princess now armed with a new practice axe.

"So, it is time to cross blades…" Dimitri said as he assumed a battle stance. "I never imagined such a day would come to pass."

Smiling as she brandished her axe, Edelgard said, "If the Empire and the Kingdom go to war, we'll be able to fight as much as we please."

"I am sorry, but that is not something to joke about. The thought of fighting you is troubling at best."

"In that case, I wonder when you'll be able to stomach facing me in battle… Do you need a few moments?"

"I thank you for such a gesture, but I don't require your charity. Now, here I come, Edelgard!"

Dimitri rushed forward and swung his lance at Edelgard, who blocked the blow with her shield before making her own strike at the prince. Dimitri avoided the hit and countered. The two went back and forth with their strikes for a good minute.

Then, as Edelgard hit Dimitri's lance, the prince made a shout as he channeled the power of the Minor Crest of Blaiddyd, and he swung hard at Edelgard. Edelgard swung her axe at Dimitri's lance, and the Minor Crest of Seiros shimmered from her body.

It was Edelgard's weapon that broke, for the Crest of Blaiddyd was stronger when it came to raw physical power. Edelgard made a yelp as her weapon burst into splinters, and then made a cry of pain as Dimitri's lance slammed into her left arm, sending her stumbling back, her arm now bleeding badly.

Edelgard grimaced as she looked at Dimitri and gripped her left arm. She could have won that clash. She should have won it, but she held back.

"Looks like this is my victory," said Dimitri.

"I'm… I'm not finished yet!" Edelgard shouted.

Edelgard rushed forward and tried to bash Dimitri with her shield, but the prince tossed aside his weapon and wrapped his arms around Edelgard's torso from behind. The princess thrashed as hard as she could, refusing to give in to the prince, but he held strong.

"G-Gnh! I-I'm not – I haven't l-lost yet! I–"

"Edelgard, that is enough!"

The two stopped struggling as Seteth swooped down on Hyperion, breaking up the fight. Dimitri released his grip on Edelgard, who stumbled away from him defiantly.

"This duel has concluded," said Seteth. "Dimitri has drawn blood and thus is the winner."

"No, I'm not finished yet! I can still fight!" said Edelgard.

"You know the rules, Edelgard. Unless you wish to have the Black Eagles receive a penalty in this battle, you will stand down."

Edelgard growled loudly at this, glaring first at Seteth, and then at Dimitri. Both looked at her with unease.

"Edelgard, that's enough," said Byleth as she strode up to her.

Surprised, Edelgard turned and said, "Professor Eisner, I can still–"

"You've fought well. Don't worry, I'll take it from here. Go get your arm fixed up."

Edelgard was silent for a moment, then let out a sigh and said, "Very well. But you had better not lose!"

The princess then moved off to rejoin the other students as she nursed her left arm. Byleth turned her attention back to Dimitri, who retrieved his lance.

"Edelgard hates losing," Byleth said to Dimitri.

"I can see that…" Dimitri replied. "But only one of us could have won that duel, and I proved the stronger."

"Strength isn't everything, Dimitri."

"Agreed." As he resumed his stance, Dimitri added, "How far can I push myself with you as my foe… This will be a great chance to test our mettle. Do not underestimate me, Professor Eisner, or you will fail!"

Byleth said nothing in reply as she readied her wooden sword. In her mind, Sothis was speaking to her.

"Before you think of it, if you should lose to Prince Dimitri, I will not be allowing you a second attempt," said Sothis. "That would be cheating, after all."

Byleth hadn't planned on doing it differently. She watched Dimitri intently, eyeing his posture and where his eyes were looking, and knew he was planning to end the fight in one strike.

Dimitri made his move, leaping up and throwing his lance at Byleth, a move so fast it would have surprised even a hardened warrior. But Byleth was too quick, and deftly dodged to the side. She then grabbed the lance, ripping it from the ground before throwing it back at Dimitri as he landed. The weapon spun as it flew, hitting Dimitri on the forehead with its shaft. Before Dimitri could recover, Byleth rushed up to him, grabbed him by the shoulder, and swung her knee to hit him in the gut. Dimitri shuddered as he gasped in pain. Byleth pulled her knee back, allowing Dimitri to topple to his knees as he clutched his stomach.

"W-Well… fought… Professor…" Dimitri gasped, and then he slumped onto his side.

Byleth looked down at him with concern. She then looked up at Seteth and asked, "Should… I have held back?"

Seteth did not answer this question.

…

Dorothea made a gasp of surprise as she saw Byleth slam her knee into Dimitri's gut. The Professor never ceased to amaze her in how she fought.

"Ouch…" said Hilda, prompting Dorothea to turn and ready her stance as the pinkette approached her. "Poor Dimitri. That had to hurt."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Dorothea replied congenially. "Guess it's just you and me now, Hilda."

"Looks that way… Hey, wait a second, weren't you fighting Felix? What happened?"

"He's now getting his injuries treated by Flayn." Dorothea smiled confidently as she said this.

"Wait, you mean you BEAT him? One-on-one?!"

Punctuating each syllable, Dorothea answered, "One. On. One."

"Oh, wow… I guess I'll need to take this seriously."

"Do you ever fight seriously, Hilda?"

"Of course I do! And you know what?" Hilda then made a dash at Dorothea as she shouted, "You can't handle my best!"

The Minor Crest of Goneril shone from Hilda's body as she jumped and swung her axe down at Dorothea. The singer jumped back to dodge, but the force of the blow was so great that it made small shockwave as Hilda's axe hit the ground. Dorothea yelped as the shockwave sent her flying back several feet, making her almost topple over.

Dorothea regained her balance and saw Hilda was again charging at her. Dorothea tried swinging her blade at Hilda's weapon, only to yelp as she was sent staggering back from the force of Hilda's strike.

"W-Whoa!" Dorothea gasped. "How are you so strong?"

Hilda said nothing as she twirled her axe and brought it and her arms behind her back in a pose. It was something that made countless boys swoon over her, and now Dorothea heard several Church soldiers cheering Hilda on.

Dorothea knew she was in for a tough fight. Despite her appearance, Hilda was much stronger and faster than she looked, courtesy of her Minor Crest of Goneril. In a pure physical fight, Dorothea knew she didn't stand a chance. And she couldn't risk a spell; Hilda would either knock her out before she could cast one, or she'd at least end up too close and they would both get shocked. She only managed to get one off against Felix because she had goaded him, but Hilda wasn't about to fall for a trick like that.

But then Dorothea remembered Hilda's clash with Caspar.

She smiled as she got an idea.

"Awfully popular today, aren't you?" said Dorothea.

"What can I say?" said Hilda. "When I actually try, I put in some work."

"Yeah, when you actually try…" Dorothea's tone went a bit icy at this.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Dorothea?"

"It's just… You get coddled so much by your family and put in so little effort for your success while I had to struggle and work hard for everything I wanted. Let's just say I'm a little jealous of you, Hilda."

"Ohh… Umm, sorry?"

"It's not your fault. But if you really wanted to make it up to me, you could always take a dive."

"Hehe, sorry, Dorothea, but I can't just LET you win. Like you said, you gotta earn it."

"Yeah, I guess I DO!"

Dorothea rushed forward and struck at Hilda, who parried the blow with her axe. Hilda then tried to counter the attack, but Dorothea rushed forward and, to Hilda's surprise, thrust her left hand forward and shoved, pushing hard against Hilda's right breast. Caught off guard, Hilda stumbled back with a blush on her face at being groped again.

"H-HEY! Watch the girls!" Hilda yelped. It was the reaction Dorothea had hoped for.

Dorothea didn't give Hilda another chance to move. She jumped forward, abandoning her blade as she pounced on Hilda. The pinkette shrieked as she was forced to the ground, dropping her axe as she was pinned on her back, her arms trapped under Dorothea's knees.

A second later, Hilda let out an even louder shriek as Dorothea's hands grabbed her breasts and squeezed. HARD.

"WHA?! AAH! D-DOROTHEA, what are you doing?!"

"Earning my victory!" Dorothea said with a smirk. "Wow, you're big, Hilda! Probably from eating all those cakes and pastries!"

"AAH! YAAH! C-Cut it out, Dorothea!"

Hilda tried to push Dorothea off her, but she couldn't get any leverage as the singer straddled her and continued to grope her chest roughly. Her face was turning as pink as her hair, and she looked from side to side for anyone to help her. However, all the Church soldiers were too aroused by what they saw to want it to stop.

"You know, the bigger these get, the more sensitive they are," said Dorothea. "And these are really big! Not as big as Professor Byleth's, but still…"

"D-D-Dorotheaaaa! Stop thaaat! Stop grabbing my boobs!"

"I'll stop if you give up, okay?"

"W-What?! No fair!"

"Say it, Hilda! Or I'll do THIS!"

Dorothea's fingers found Hilda's nipples through her uniform and gave them a hard pinch.

"AAAAHHHHHH! STOP THAAAT! NOT MY– OWWW!"

With each squeeze and tug Dorothea made on her breasts, Hilda felt her strength leave her body. She continued to try and squirm free, but she couldn't muster enough strength to force the singer off of her.

"Aaahhh… D-D-Dorothea, this is so – EEH?!"

Dorothea had released her grip on Hilda's chest for a brief instant, but it was only so that she could grab the middle of her shirt and pull it open. Buttons popped as Dorothea released Hilda's bountiful breasts from confinement, now held only in a lacy pink bra. Dorothea resumed groping the pinkette, who blushed even deeper now that her chest was nearly exposed. She heard the Church soldiers whistling at the lurid display, with some cheering for Dorothea to show them more.

"Ohh, do you hear that?" Dorothea asked. "They want to see more. Well, unless you give up, I may just have to give them what they want."

Hilda made a loud, shrill gasp at this notion. She might have been a bit of a tease but letting everyone see her exposed chest was too much!

"W-W-Wait! No, don't!" Hilda cried.

Dorothea gave Hilda's left breast another squeeze, and then moved her right hand to the center of Hilda's bra, intending to lift it.

"WAIT! STOP! I GIVE UP! I GIVE UP!"

"Awww, really?" Dorothea said in a teasing tone.

"YES, REALLY! YOU WIN! NOW GET OFF ME, PLEASE!"

"Gladly. Sorry about all that."

Dorothea stepped off Hilda as the pinkette swiftly wrapped her arms around her chest and scampered back from her.

As she gasped for breath, Hilda said, "That… That was so unfair!"

"Didn't you say all's fair in love and war?"

In a fit of pique, Hilda pouted as her eyes flooded with tears of embarrassment and said, "You'd better watch yourself, Dorothea! Someday, I'll return the favor!"

At that moment, the two heard a loud trumpet echoing across Gronder Field.

The Battle of the Eagle and Lion had officially ended.

* * *

_Tell me, did I go too far with the raunchiness?_

_I hadn't originally planned for Dorothea to beat Hilda by groping her; originally I had thought to let Dimitri take her down, but then I got the idea while watching some ecchi anime and, well, it wrote itself._


	50. Commendable Effort

_Wow, 50 chapters already? And so few reviews, too..._

_More groping in this chapter!_

_Also, tell me, what were your favorite highlights of the battle?_

* * *

**Chapter 50 – Commendable Effort (Wyvern Moon)**

Anna and Shamir sat as the trumpet sounded the end of the battle. Now it was just a matter of the judges, each one impartially picked, to tally up each team's eliminations. Anna had already taken a tally as the fight had gone, and already she knew who had won.

Having watched Dorothea's victory over Hilda, Anna said, "Well, that was… interesting."

"Never seen someone win like that," said Shamir. "But a win's a win."

"You think you might try it? Hmm, maybe I'll tell Catherine about this one." Anna took a glance at Shamir's own endowment as she added, "I bet she'd try it on you."

"Don't be an idiot."

Standing below in the field, the three houses had gathered before Seteth.

"Our judges have made their tally," said Seteth.

The students had eager expressions on their faces to hear the results. Dorothea looked over at Byleth to see her smiling and took it as a good sign.

"The winners of this year's Battle of the Eagle and Lion are… The Black Eagles!"

Dorothea's face lit up with joy, as did the other Black Eagles. A cheer went out that could be heard across Gronder Field.

"Well, looks like your team won," Shamir said to Anna.

"I knew By would pull this off," said Anna. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some money to make!"

As Anna leapt to her feet, Shamir stood and said, "Change of plans, Anna. You'll be going down there, and you'll be handing out your refreshments to those students for free."

"W-WHAT?!" Anna said, aghast at the idea. "You can't be–"

"The Church will pay you for your goods. At standard market prices."

This still didn't sit well with Anna, who said, "Oh, come on, Shamir. Regular prices? You're killin' me here. I deserve at least thirty percent extra, right?"

"Ten percent."

"Twenty-five?"

Sighing, Shamir said, "Twenty, and not a coin more."

"Deal!"

With that, Anna rushed over to her cart and began to roll it down toward the celebrating first-year students.

…

Down on the field, as the other students were chatting about the battle, Byleth, Dorothea and Edelgard stood before Dimitri and Claude.

"Edelgard. Professor. That was a spectacular battle," said Dimitri. "You both fought exceptionally well. As did you, Dorothea. I never expected that you could beat Felix in single combat."

"Well, I've learned a lot since the Great Tree Moon, Dimitri," said Dorothea.

"Complete and utter defeat…" Claude said in faux dismay. "I would hate to make an enemy of you three. Especially you, Princess."

"No need to get carried away with praise," said Edelgard. "I know you both feel we won by a paper-thin margin. And I won't deny it. If we were to fight again, there's no telling who would prevail. What do you think, Professor?"

"Everyone here did exceptionally well today," said Byleth.

"I am honored to hear you say so, Professor Eisner," said Dimitri.

"Same here!" said Claude. "And I'll level with you - I think that margin is at least as wide as two sheets of paper. I mean that." Then, with a cheeky smile, Claude turned to Dorothea and said, "And really, Dorothea, for you to beat Hilda like that? Gotta say, even I wouldn't have tried that on her."

Slightly blushing, Dorothea said, "Well, I just got creative, that's all."

"Right, 'creative'. I'll bet you got the idea from Teach."

For a second, Byleth's eyes widened and she looked at Dorothea, who looked back at her in protest.

Before either could say a word, Claude laughed and said, "Just kidding! Teach wouldn't resort to something THAT raunchy."

Dorothea and Byleth decided not to comment on that remark, with the singer letting out a nervous laugh.

Then, stopping his laughter, Claude said, "In any case, I hope the day never comes when we have to put this experience to use."

"Agreed," said Dimitri. "I would hate to know a future in which I'm forced to cross swords with you."

"True," said Edelgard. "Although the Battle of the Eagle and Lion was originally named after a war between the Empire and the Kingdom."

"Yeah, but that's all in the past, Edie," said Dorothea. "I'm sure even that name will be forgotten someday. And seriously, what could ever make us want to cross swords? That'll never happen, right?"

"I hope so," said Byleth. "As long as we all keep getting along, we won't have to worry about such a future."

"How admirable, Teach!" said Claude. "On that note, I have a proposition. When we get back to Garreg Mach, let's have a grand feast to bring down the walls between our respective houses. And by a 'grand' feast, I mean a fairly regular feast in the dining hall."

As Dorothea made a short giggle at Claude, Dimitri said, "It would be a fine opportunity to know each other better. Count me in."

"So be it," said Edelgard. "Let's plan to meet up on the night we return. Is that OK with you, Professor Eisner?"

"I'm looking forward to it," said Byleth.

"Me too!" said Dorothea. She then added melodramatically, "We'll celebrate our victory with a grandiose gala of goodies!"

This made the others chuckle at this. To everyone's surprise, even Byleth couldn't help but smile and laugh.

"Wow, what's gotten into you today, Professor?" asked Dorothea. "You seem awfully excited over all this."

"It's just… you're always such a spectacle, Dorothea," said Byleth.

"Well, seeing such a nice smile on your face is a real treat. Nothing is quite so uplifting as seeing friends with a smile on their face."

"I suppose that look on your face is just another boon from this glorious day," said Dimitri. "Perhaps the best one of all."

"Agreed," said Edelgard. "It makes me feel like I can maybe relax a little too."

"Seeing you smile like that means we've got no choice but to have a great time tonight," said Claude. "Let's get going!"

"Not so fast, everyone!" said Anna as she finally arrived on the scene.

The students turned to see Anna making her way down to them with her cart full of refreshments. The sight of such treats brought murmurs of delight from the cadets.

Before anyone could rush up for something to eat or drink, Byleth stepped forward and asked, "Anna, what are you doing here? Isn't this battle supposed to be off-limits to civilians?"

"Well, you might say that I got special permission to be here," said Anna. "Anyhow, I figure since you've all got to be real famished right now, I say why wait to get back to Garreg Mach before having a bite to eat? I've got all sorts of good stuff here! Come on, dig in!"

Calls of thanks and chatter for what each student wanted rang out as they ran up to the cart and started picking sweets, fruit, and other treats. A barrel filled with clear water was on the side, giving the students access to a fresh, cold drink. Byleth was amazed Anna had been able to move such a heavy load on her own; Anna wasn't known for her strength.

"Go on, go on, help yourselves!" Anna said as she touched an index finger to her cheek.

"Umm, Anna?" asked Byleth. "Not that we don't appreciate this, but you're just giving us all this for free?"

"Don't worry about it, By. The Church is paying me for this one."

"Really? Well then, don't mind me!" said Dorothea as she picked out a large pear.

Walking off to the side with her fruit, Dorothea was just about to take a bite out of her pear when she suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around her. Startled, she let out a gasp as she looked to see who had grabbed her.

"H-Hilda?" Dorothea stammered, immediately realizing what this was about.

"I said I'd get even with you, Dorothea," Hilda said sweetly. "Might as well do it now and not forget about it later."

With that, Hilda brought her hands up and, predictably, squeezed Dorothea's breasts through her shirt. And she squeezed hard.

"Aah! H-Hilda! Not so h-hard! KYAA!"

Dorothea yelped and dropped her pear as she reached for Hilda's wrists to try and pry her hands off her chest. Hilda would not be dissuaded, however, and soon found Dorothea's nipples beneath her shirt as she rolled her bountiful breasts like dough in her hands. The pinkette was quick to give the singer's teats a sharp pinch.

"OUCH! H-HILDA! Don't be so rough!"

The display had gotten a few of the other students watching in either amusement, admonishment, exasperation, or in Petra's case confusion. The Brigid princess was soon asking Edelgard about why Hilda was groping Dorothea, something Edelgard was hesitant to answer. Off to the side, Lysithea and Annette both let out pouts of dismay while Ingrid hit Sylvain to the back of his head when he made a perverted remark.

Then, as Dorothea finally managed to pull Hilda's left hand off her left breast, the singer said, "Hilda, cut that out! You can't just – EEH?!"

Dorothea was interrupted as Hilda's left hand moved away from the singer's chest and instead grabbed a handful of the diva's left butt cheek. Thankfully, Dorothea was wearing some shorts underneath her skirt for modesty, but they still revealed a lot of the skin on her legs.

"Ooh, you're not only packed up front, but in the back as well~" Hilda said with a smile. "You've just got it all, don't you, Dorothea?"

"OW! Hey, stop! Stop grabbing my rear like that!"

Dorothea struggled to escape Hilda's grip, but as she expected, the pinkette was far stronger than her physically. As the others continued to either laugh at the scene or admonish Hilda for her perverted revenge, Dorothea looked to see Byleth watching the ordeal with a blush on her face.

"Ouch! Aah! P-Professor, heeeelp!"

Byleth could only let out a nervous chuckle at this. The look said it all: she felt Dorothea was reaping what she had sow.

…

Dorothea gave her butt a short rub as she sat in the dining hall back at Garreg Mach. She was still a little bit sore from Hilda's groping session. Thankfully, Byleth had eventually broken it up, though not before Dorothea had been somewhat humiliated. Dorothea had expected Byleth to discipline Hilda for it, but Byleth had ordered that the two call the whole thing even. In the end, Dorothea decided it was for the best that she not seek to get back at Hilda for it.

As Dorothea sat before the rest of the Black Eagles, she looked around at the students who were celebrating. Linhardt was busy speaking with Lysithea about her victory over Hubert, while Leonie and Lorenz were arguing over who was at fault for their loss against Ferdinand. Sylvain was making fun of Ingrid's own loss, which caused an embarrassed Bernadetta to try and slip away from the dining hall. Caspar was apologizing to Hilda for accidentally groping her, but her expression showed Caspar was seriously messing it up. And off in the corner, Dimitri looked as though he were trying to give Marianne a big apology for something. No one else had seen how their confrontation had gone, so Dorothea didn't know what exactly Dimitri was apologizing for.

Dorothea looked back at the table and asked, "Does anyone get the feeling that there are already couples forming? That's not really fair, is it?"

"I was hoping for some tea after our meal anyway," said Ferdinand. "Would you care to join me, Dorothea?"

"Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Noble," Dorothea replied with sass.

She then took her small bowl of Peach Sorbet and left the table. As she did, she noticed Edelgard and Byleth standing off to the side, watching everyone else enjoying themselves.

As Dorothea approached, Edelgard said to Byleth, "I must thank you again, Professor Eisner. Until today, I thought it would fall to me to command and guide our ranks all by myself. But with you leading us, I've gotten to experience what it's like to fight alongside everyone… And I've realized… how happy it makes me, fighting under your command. The emperor doesn't take orders from anyone. It's their duty to stand alone and lead the entire Empire. But maybe it's better to have someone to rely on… so that you can support and guide each other through the darkness."

Interjecting, Dorothea said, "It's like I said, Edie. There's no need to do everything yourself. We're there for you if you need us." Then, turning to Byleth, she added, "And you, Professor Byleth… Whatever would we do without you?"

"I feel the same… You are something special, my teacher."

Byleth smiled as she said, "Thank you, both of you." Then, with a slightly awkward expression, she said, "But Dorothea, we need to talk about how you… bested Hilda."

"Hey, a win's a win, isn't it?" Dorothea said with a wink.

This left Byleth and Edelgard with looks of exasperation on their faces.

And off to the side, Sothis floated nearby, unseen by all as she said, "Well done, my friend."

* * *

_For those who were wondering, the final count was: BE - 12, BL - 6, GD - 7_

_If you're worried I'm gonna turn this into a total ecchi fic, don't worry, I only plan on it a few more times, and only in situations where you might expect it. But I will highlight something that's going to happen in the near future (but not within the next, say, 5 chapters) - an onsen scene. :D_

_And I know the groping technically could be considered rapey, and that we're going into double standards and all, but hey, it's anime logic. And in Clovis' case, he was gonna do far worse than just grope Dorothea. I know I could've written Dorothea beating Hilda in a fair fight in the previous chapter, but I just couldn't get it to work given Hilda's superior physical prowess. Plus I didn't want to have Dorothea electrocuting our top-heavy pinkette. XD_


	51. Rewards of Success (Red Wolf Moon)

_Time for the new month. And for a development in Dorothea's relationship with Felix._

_Oh, and another Nintendo reference. I'm sure you'll get this one._

* * *

**Chapter 51 – Rewards of Success (Red Wolf Moon)**

"I can only call your deeds during the Battle of the Eagle and Lion… quite versatile," said Rhea as she stood before Byleth, Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude and, surprisingly, Dorothea. The Archbishop had chosen to invite the singer to this meeting rather than wait for her to eavesdrop, an invitation that had left Dorothea rather sheepish.

Seteth then said, "Comparing against your performance in the mock battle of the Great Tree Moon, you and the other students have grown significantly. It is clear that this is a result of your guidance, Professor Eisner."

"Thank you, Seteth," said Byleth.

"That said, it goes without saying that some of their tactics were… curious, to say the least." Seteth eyed Dorothea as he said this, which made the singer blush. "Please do refrain from using such a lurid approach in the future, Miss Arnault."

Dorothea made a nervous laugh and then said, "I-I just didn't see any other way to win against Hilda."

"You could've taken a dive," Claude said jokingly, which made Dimitri and Edelgard scowl at him. "I jest, I jest."

Getting back on topic, Rhea said, "In appreciation of your efforts, Professor Eisner, and to show our high hopes for your future and the future of your students, I award you with this."

Rhea extended her hand to Byleth, revealing an intricately made hairclip in the shape of a crystalline white flower, known across the world as the Silent Princess. It was not a flower that normally grew in Fódlan, and even in the greenhouse they did not thrive.

"A hairclip?" Edelgard asked inquisitively.

"Not much of a prize, if you ask me," added Claude, earning a glare from Seteth.

"Looks can be deceiving, Claude," said Rhea. "This carries an enchantment that helps protect the wearer when confronting beasts. A useful boon, especially at this time of the year."

"Sounds handy. But why not give stuff like this to everyone?"

After examining the hairclip for a moment, Byleth said, "It's made of Mythril, isn't it?"

"Yes, Professor, it is," said Rhea.

"Ah, I get it. Rare materials and all that," said Claude.

"You may use it as you see fit, Professor Eisner. Please continue to instruct your students as a model teacher."

"Thank you, Lady Rhea," said Byleth.

Seteth then said, "It pains me to assign such a disturbing mission to you during such a blessed moment in time… However, next month your assignment will be to journey to Remire Village to investigate an abnormal occurrence there."

"An abnormal occurrence?" asked Dorothea.

"I have yet to ascertain the details, but it would seem the villages have been acting strangely. I have already dispatched the knights to verify the authenticity of this information. They should be back shortly. Professor Eisner, I suggest you begin by finding out what they have discovered."

"Of course, Seteth," Byleth said with a nod.

"I pray this is not a bad omen…" said Rhea. "May the goddess protect you all."

…

"So, that little thing was what we all fought so hard to win?" said Claude. "Even with its enchantment, I can't help but feel it's a little underwhelming."

"What do you intend to do with it, Professor Eisner?" asked Dimitri.

Byleth made a short "Hmm…" as she pondered this question. Then, as though out of an impulse, she walked over to Dorothea and reached for her hair.

"P-Professor?"

"Just a second, Dorothea… There."

Byleth stepped back, letting the others see her work. Dorothea now wore the hairclip above her left ear, perfectly placed.

"It suits you well, Dorothea," said Dimitri.

"Not bad," added Claude.

"Thank you," Dorothea said to the boys. Then, turning to Edelgard, she asked, "Well, Edie? What do you think?"

"It… looks splendid," Edelgard said with a short pause.

Turning back to Byleth, Dorothea then asked, "Are you sure you want me to have it?"

Byleth nodded with a smile.

"Thank you, Professor. I–" Dorothea made a short gasp as realization sprung to her face. "Oh, Professor, what time is it?"

Byleth reached for her pocket watch and opened it, revealing the hour hand pointing down and to the right.

Seeing the time, Dorothea said, "Oh, shoot! I have to get in some sword practice! I gotta go, sorry everyone!"

Dorothea took off in a hurry, leaving the others to their own affairs.

…

Dorothea made a loud "HYA!" as she made a quick thrust with Joyeuse, glancing a practice dummy with the blade. She performed several more strikes, each one striking the dummy, but not in the places she wanted. She grimaced after a fourth miss.

As the singer was about to make a comment, she heard a familiar voice say, "There you are, Arnault."

Letting out a sigh of annoyance, Dorothea did not turn to face Felix as she readied another strike.

"I'd like a word with you," Felix added.

"Well, I'm not very inclined to listen right now," said Dorothea.

The singer then made another thrust, but again her strike was off her mark. She scowled in irritation at missing again.

Felix then said, "You're holding your blade too tightly. And you shouldn't be turned so much toward your foe."

Thinking Felix was deriding her again, Dorothea said, "Yeah, well, nobody asked you."

"I'm not trying to criticize you, Dorothea. I'm trying to offer you some advice."

"H-Huh?"

Surprised, Dorothea turned to Felix as the heir of Fraldarius walked over to her and said, "Here, let me show you."

Felix extended his hand out. Dorothea hesitated for a moment before handing Joyeuse over to him, and then stepped to the side so Felix could take a stance. Felix stood still for a moment so Dorothea could watch his form, and then he made a series of thrusts at the practice dummy, each one landing precisely and quickly upon each targeted spot. It wasn't as quick or precise as Judith had been, but it was far better than Dorothea's own swordplay.

Dorothea could not help but be impressed.

"Control is the single most important thing when using a blade like this," Felix said as he handed Joyeuse back to Dorothea. "You have to be able to wield it as if it were an extension of your arm."

Gingerly, Dorothea took back her blade. After an awkward moment of silence, she then asked, "Why are you helping? I thought you hated me."

"I don't hate you," Felix said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Could've fooled me. You're always mocking me when it comes to wielding a sword."

"I wasn't…" Felix let out a groan of realization as he said, "I apologize if I sounded that way. It's just how I myself was taught as a boy. My instructors were critical of mistakes I would make in my training. I suppose that rubbed off on me."

Dorothea said nothing to this, but her expression softened.

"You asked why I was helping you now? Well, you managed to best me at Gronder. You took advantage of my pride and lured me to fight on your terms. You impressed me that day, even if you did almost kill me."

Now a bit embarrassed, Dorothea said, "I-I said I was sorry! I didn't mean to–"

"Don't worry about it. You taught me a valuable lesson that day – that I should never underestimate an opponent."

"O-Oh, well, umm…" Dorothea was at a loss for words.

"Since you managed to beat me, I figured I could help you learn a thing or two about how to use that blade. And, while we're at it, perhaps you could help me learn something I've taken a recent interest in."

Dorothea, thinking Felix's new interest was in her, made a sultry smile and said, "And what would that be, hmm?"

"Not what you're thinking, Arnault," said Felix, prompting Dorothea to drop her flirtatious expression. "I want to learn how to use Anima."

Surprised, Dorothea had to ask, "You wanna learn magic?"

"I was recently at Anna's shop looking at one of her swords when she told me about a swordsman from Hoshido who could wield both swords and sorcery as easily as breathing. While I suspect part of her story was just to entice me to buy one of her weapons, the idea is intriguing, nonetheless. Professor Eisner also learned how to cast spells, correct?"

"Yeah, she did. But why not ask her?"

"I did. She suggested that I ask you about it."

"What?"

"Perhaps she felt that I could learn sorcery from you while you learned swordplay from me. It makes sense, to be honest."

"I guess, when you put it that way."

"So, how about it?"

"Umm, sure. Yeah, I could show you a thing or two about magic, and you could help me actually use this thing."

"Excellent."

With that, Felix picked up a practice sword and took a stance next to Dorothea. Over the next half-hour, the two practiced together, and though Felix was a bit of a harsh instructor, Dorothea could quickly feel the difference in her performance.

This was afterwards followed by Dorothea trying to show Felix what she knew about using Anima magic. Felix, as it turned out, wasn't very good at understanding magical formulae, something Dorothea was quick to quip on. However, by the end of their time at the training ground, Felix had gotten at least a small understanding of the basics.

Before they realized how much time they had spent, the bell rang to signal dinner time.

_Dum… Dum dun dun… Dom…_

"Oh, is it dinner already?" said Dorothea.

"Sounds like it," Felix answered. "Come on, we can pick this up another time. Annette's cooking tonight."

As Felix went toward the exit to the training grounds, Dorothea asked playfully, "Oh, you don't wanna miss Annie's cooking, do you?"

"What are you implying, Arnault?"

"Oh, nothing." Felix made a small grunt as he turned around, but stopped again as Dorothea said, "Felix? Thanks for the help today. I appreciate it."

"Likewise."

Felix left the practice grounds as Dorothea gathered her things and then went after him for the dining hall.

* * *

_This one's a bit shorter than my more recent chapters, but I feel it's a good note to end on. If anything, I've been making my more recent chapters too long._

_Felix is definitely someone I've made a bit of a jerk in my story, but not without reason. Hopefully now I'll be able to depict him in a better light._


	52. Journey to the Red Canyon

_We now begin a Paralogue for a certain loli-goddess. And this is going to be VERY different from the in-game iteration._

* * *

**Chapter 52 – Journey to the Red Canyon (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea was walking past the bathhouse on her way back to her room from the training grounds when she saw Byleth and Jeralt standing before the Professor's quarters. The two did not often have time to speak with one another, so Dorothea decided to listen in as she passed.

"You'll be getting your students ready for Remire, yes?" asked Jeralt.

"Yes, father," said Byleth.

"If you have the time, it would be helpful if you could go ahead and talk to the knights. I'll be in my office making my own preparations."

"Of course, father. I'll be asking Gilbert what he… Uhh…"

Byleth's eyes widened unexpectedly as a sudden, painful dizziness began to overwhelm her. She felt a dull thud within her chest that she normally did not feel.

An image flashed before her eyes. It was of a familiar set of ruins, grey, barren, and unlike any others in Fódlan.

And then, a second later, she toppled over to the ground.

Dorothea and Jeralt both went wide-eyed with concern. The singer rushed over as Jeralt said, "Hey! What's wrong? Byleth?"

"Professor?" Dorothea said as she knelt next to Byleth. "Are you okay?"

"I… I'm alright…" Byleth replied weakly. "I just got a little dizzy…"

As Dorothea helped Byleth to stand back up, Jeralt said, "If anything feels off, return to the infirmary. No need to just grin and bear it. Got it?"

Byleth nodded wordlessly as she listened to Sothis in her head.

"Ugh… What could have caused such dizziness?" the green-haired girl moaned. "I felt it too." Then, with a tone of realization, she added, "Actually… I've felt that way before… and that image…"

Turning to Dorothea, Jeralt said, "You, Dorothea, keep an eye on her, will you?"

"Of course, Sir Jeralt," said Dorothea.

Jeralt nodded at the brunette and then walked off to his office.

Turning back to Byleth, Dorothea asked, "Professor, are you sure you're alright? You aren't sick or anything, are you?"

"N-No, Dorothea," Byleth replied. "I told you, I just got a little dizzy."

In Byleth's head, Sothis was now pondering aloud and said, "Hmm… What was that name again? Oh, this is frustrating me to no end! I simply can't recall." Then, after a moment's silence, the green-haired girl's eyes lit up as she remembered and said, "Oh, I have it! Zanado!"

"Zanado…? The Red Canyon?" asked Byleth.

"That's it! It was not long ago that we were there…" said Sothis. "And still, I somehow managed to forget! That place brought back some fragments of my memory. I cannot help but wonder why. I feel we must return to find some answers there."

"Go to Zanado?"

"Professor? Professor Byleth?" asked Dorothea as she waved her hand before Byleth's eyes.

Byleth's expression turned to alarm as she looked at Dorothea and realized she had just been talking to Sothis out loud in the singer's presence.

"Professor, please, is something wrong? You're acting really strange," Dorothea said with concern. "Why are you talking about going to Zanado?"

Byleth's mind raced as she tried to think of a way to get out of this scenario. For a moment, she thought to use the Divine Pulse to stop herself from speaking out loud.

But as she tried to think, Sothis said impatiently, "Come on, why are you stalling?! Just bring the girl with you!"

It was at this moment that Byleth tried to use the Divine Pulse. But as her mind reached for the power, she found it blocked by Sothis.

"Oh no you don't!" the girl snapped. "We may have need of it later! Just tell the girl what you saw. You can trust her, can you not?"

"Professor? Hey, Professor~" Dorothea took a singsong tone as she said, "You'd better tell me what's going on or I'm going to grope you again~"

Byleth's eyes snapped down to see Dorothea was about to grab her chest. Immediately, Byleth slapped away Dorothea's hands, prompting a giggle out of the brunette.

"Dorothea!" Byleth hissed admonishingly. As Dorothea gave her a playful smile, Byleth sighed and said, "I saw something when I got all dizzy. I saw Zanado, the Red Canyon."

"You did? Why?"

"I don't know. I just… Remember when we were there the first time? How I told you, Claude and Edelgard about how I had faint memories of that place even though I had never been there before?"

"Yeah, I remember. We thought it might be memories of a past life or something, right?"

"Maybe… In any event, I think I may remember something more if I go there again."

"But isn't Zanado off-limits without the Archbishop's permission?"

"It is. And I don't think Rhea would be giving me permission over something like this."

"Yeah, it does sound kinda suspicious, if you ask me."

"I know it sounds strange, but that's what I saw. And if I want any answers, I'll have to go there."

Dorothea was silent for a moment as she gave the whole thing some thought. Then, with a smile, she said enthusiastically, "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

"Huh?"

"You want to figure this all out, don't you? Well, I want to help you, Professor!"

"Dorothea?"

"Besides, your father asked me to keep an eye on you, right? And who knows? It might be fun. Come on, we'll be there and back before anyone notices."

"I… Umm…" Byleth was trying to find a way to protest Dorothea's involvement.

"Do not bother dissuading her," said Sothis. "I surmise she will follow even if you say no."

Byleth let out another sigh of defeat and said, "Alright, Dorothea. You can come along if you want."

"Great! Just let me get a few things!"

With that, Dorothea took off toward her room, leaving Byleth to wonder if she was going to regret her choice.

…

The air was bitter cold at the Red Canyon as Byleth and Dorothea approached on horseback. Slipping out of town unnoticed hadn't been too difficult, as Dorothea knew a lot of the spots where the guards were posted. Thanks to that knowledge, the two had made it to Zanado without anyone questioning or spotting them.

As they dismounted from their horse and Byleth tied its reins to a nearby tree, Dorothea made a brief shiver as she said, "Is it just me, or is it a lot colder here than it is at Garreg Mach?"

Byleth said nothing in response to this, not feeling any difference in temperature as she walked down into the ruins of Zanado. Her eyes looked about the ruins, trying to find anything noteworthy among the grey stones and broken buildings.

Dorothea followed close behind the Professor, not knowing what it was the bluette was looking for. She made another shiver and was left wishing she had worn some warmer clothes.

With a small shudder, she said, "I don't remember this place being this creepy before. Without any bandits in it, it feels really… empty. Like a graveyard or something."

The two continued into the canyon ruins, passing one broken building after another. There was little to find in the canyon besides a few shattered pots, foliage, and an abundance of rubble. Some areas of the ground also had large holes in them. One could not see into the darkness below, but it was clear these holes would lead deep underground. Fortunately, it looked as though the cracked ground was strong enough to support their weight.

After about twenty minutes, the two came up to a structure that looked as though it had withstood the test of time far better than the others. It looked as though it could be considered a temple, but its architecture was nothing like other temples in Fódlan. The roof had collapsed inward, and a great deal of rubble was inside the temple, but the walls at least were intact.

Dorothea then asked, "Well, Professor? Remember anything yet?"

Byleth was about to reply when Sothis said, "Yes… It is all coming back to me. This structure…" Byleth was going to say something to Dorothea when Sothis continued, "Oh, but it's as though my memories are clouded. The most important pieces are obscured. But I once called this home. I have no doubt."

"Professor?" Dorothea asked again.

"I'm… not sure," said Byleth, which brought a look of disappointment to Dorothea. "It's as if the memories are there, but they're in a thick fog."

"Oh… kay…" Dorothea's confusion was palpable.

Byleth then looked over and saw a large wall with faded images on its side.

Sothis then said, "I seem to recall something… on the other side of that wall. I cannot see it, but I can still feel it… It is not my imagination. I know this to be true. We are already deep within this valley… We must press on."

"Let's see what's over beyond that wall," Byleth said to Dorothea, who nodded to her.

But just as they were about to move, the two stopped as a loud howling echoed through the canyon.

Startled, Dorothea and Sothis said simultaneously, "What was that?!"

Byleth and Dorothea looked about the ruins, trying to find the source of the howl. Dorothea was about to say something else when Byleth let out a loud "SHH!" to silence her. The former mercenary listened for any sound in the emptiness of the canyon.

She heard the pattering of many footfalls coming from the southeast. And they were not the footfalls of any human.

"Professor…?" Dorothea whispered.

"Ready your weapon," Byleth replied, drawing the Sword of the Creator.

Dorothea immediately drew Joyeuse and moved behind Byleth. The singer could now hear the footfalls, and they were getting closer. After another few seconds, the two heard snarling.

The source of the noises came forth soon after: a pack of eight Dire Wolves, each larger than a horse, came stalking into view.

Dorothea's eyes widened with fear. They were badly outnumbered, and even one of the beasts could be a significant threat for the unprepared.

"Professor, what are we gonna do?" Dorothea asked fearfully.

"Don't show them fear," Byleth said as she stood her ground. "If they think you're afraid of them, they'll attack."

One of the wolves, a black alpha male, glared at the two with a loud snarl. Byleth glared back at it, but she failed to intimidate the wolf as it stalked closer toward the two women. Emboldened by their leader, the other wolves stalked closer as well.

Then, as one of the wolves snapped its jaws in their direction, Dorothea flinched back.

It was all it took for the alpha to let out a loud snarl and then charge at them. The others followed suit.

Byleth knew they had only one option at this point.

"RUN!"

The two spun around and began running as fast as they could, with Dorothea sheathing Joyeuse as she ran. The pair darted for a set of broken walls to use them for cover, hoping the wolves would be too large to chase them through. But this plan turned out to be for naught, as the wolves simply smashed through the broken stone walls as if they were powdered snow.

One of the wolves began to close on Dorothea. The singer let out a shriek as she spun around and fired a bolt of lightning at it, shocking the wolf and causing it to crash to the ground. But in doing so, she had been forced to stop running, and this allowed another wolf to rush at her.

"DOROTHEA!" Byleth shouted, but it was too late.

Dorothea let out a bloodcurdling scream as the wolf's claw slashed her, sending her spinning to the ground, broken and bleeding. The wolf that had struck her loomed over the singer, ready to devour her.

Time's flow stopped just before the wolf was about to sink its teeth into her.

"Oh, dear…" said Sothis. "This is all my fault. I've put us all in this peril."

Byleth wound time backward. The wolf's claw reversed its swipe as Dorothea spun back to standing up. Her bolt of lightning was reversed, and the wolf that had tried to pounce on her flew backwards through the air. The walls the two had darted behind reformed as the wolves vanished back behind them.

Byleth could not wind back time any further, and so its flow resumed.

The wall was smashed open again by the mass of the wolves barreling into them. Dorothea let out a shriek as she saw one of the wolves closing on her. In a few seconds, she was going to stop to cast a spell.

Byleth moved first, separating the Sword of the Creator into its whip form and slashing at the wolf, lashing its neck and sending it to the ground as it yelped in pain.

"DON'T STOP! KEEP RUNNING!" Byleth shouted.

The mercenary spun back around to continue fleeing, but she knew they couldn't outrun the wolves for long. Her mind raced to find a way out of their situation.

It was then that Byleth saw the area they were running to was littered with several deep holes in it leading underground. The ground would support their weight, but not that of the Dire Wolves.

"Run over those holes! HURRY!"

Thinking the same thing as Byleth, Dorothea ran for the holes, hoping desperately that she wouldn't accidentally step in one and trap herself. Byleth was close behind her, the teacher spinning around and slashing her whip at another wolf as it tried to attack. The wolf went to the ground with its maw split open.

The two reached the area of unstable ground, and in doing so most of the wolves stopped, realizing the danger.

Dorothea spun around and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw the alpha male continue its charge. It leapt right at Byleth.

"WATCH OUT!" Dorothea cried.

Byleth jumped back, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the wolf. And as the beast landed, the ground was quick to give way under its considerable weight. Stone and gravel shattered as a giant hole was opened in the ground, and the alpha male plummeted snarling into the darkness.

But the ground did not stop breaking apart.

Alarmed, Byleth spun around to run from the collapse, but only managed two steps before the ground beneath her feet broke away. She let out a loud yelp as she reached forward and grabbed a ledge with her left hand. The Sword of the Creator slipped from her grasp and, as Byleth looked down in dismay, the blade fell into the darkness below.

"PROFESSOR!" Dorothea shrieked as she ran over to try and pull Byleth up.

But the second Dorothea grabbed Byleth's hand and tried to pull, the ground beneath them both broke away.

The two fell into the darkness of Zanado as Dorothea let out an earsplitting scream of terror.

* * *

_Try playing "Confront Battle" from the Sword Art Online soundtrack when the wolves show up, with the song ending as the chapter ends. You'll thank me later. In fact, the part of the two falling into a dark pit was inspired from rewatching Episode 7 of the SAO anime (when Kirito meets Lisbeth)._

_It was very difficult for me to write up how Dorothea decides to go with Byleth to Zanado, as Byleth can't reveal the existence of Sothis within her yet. I hope I did it in a believable way. _

_This is far from the biggest difference in this Paralogue, so expect a lot of twists!_

_EDIT: Also, to address the numerous reviews by Plasma Knight, this is meant to be as much a Byleth fic as it is a Dorothea fic, so some scenes where it feels like Dorothea doesn't fit are there because Byleth fits in them._


	53. Mysteries of the Red Canyon

_This chapter takes some inspiration from a 90's classic: Record of Lodoss War. I hope you'll enjoy it._

* * *

**Chapter 53 – Mysteries of the Red Canyon (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea let out a soft moan as her eyes fluttered. She couldn't hear anything at first, but the sound of a familiar voice began to fill her ears.

"…thea? Do… ea? H… kay…?" said the voice.

Again, Dorothea moaned in pain. Her eyes slowly opened to a blur, but as her hearing began to focus, so did her vision.

"…othea? Dorothea?!"

"Uhhn… Wh-Wha…?"

She could finally see who was speaking. It was Byleth, and the teacher's expression was of uncharacteristic worry. The Sword of the Creator was once again sheathed at her hip.

"Dorothea, are you alright?"

"Uhh… H-Huh? Professor?"

Dorothea's eyes widened as she bolted upright. At doing so, she felt her body ache in pain.

"Ah… Ow…" the singer groaned.

"Are you alright? Is anything broken?"

"N-No, I-I don't think so. B-But I feel like I just got run over by Raphael."

Dorothea then felt a soothing warmth filling her body and realized Byleth was now channeling a Heal spell into her. The pain in her body softened, though it did not disappear.

"I didn't know you could heal, Professor," said Dorothea.

"Mercedes showed me how recently," said Byleth. "Is that better?"

"Y-Yes…" Dorothea couldn't help but blush a little as she said, "That's sweet of you, Professor."

Dorothea then took a moment to look around. Wherever they were, it was dark, with only a few rays of fading sunlight shining down from above.

"Where are we?"

"We're still in Zanado. We must have fallen into the caverns below the ruins."

"Wait, what? H-How did we survive?"

"The wolf. It broke our fall."

Byleth gestured to the nearby corpse of the Dire Wolf alpha, which lay some distance away and surrounded by rubble.

"Oh… Really lucky for us, I guess," Dorothea mused aloud. "How long have I been out?"

Looking at her pocket watch, Byleth said, "At least a few hours for both of us…"

"I wonder if anybody's noticed our absence yet at the monastery."

Dorothea then looked back at Byleth and saw the Professor looking down with, to the singer's surprise, an expression of shame.

"I'm sorry, Dorothea," said Byleth. "I got us into this mess and now we're–"

"Professor, don't," Dorothea interrupted. "I wanted to help you with your search. No one could've known those wolves would come after us."

"Even so, I–"

"Besides, if I hadn't flinched back there, maybe the wolves wouldn't have attacked us."

"It's not your fault, Dorothea. Even my father would be intimidated if he had to fight an entire pack of Dire Wolves by himself."

Dorothea couldn't help but smile a little at such honesty. Then, as she looked around, she asked, "So, how are we going to get out of here? Unless we learn to sprout wings, I don't think we're going to be getting out the way we came. And I don't think the Sword of the Creator can reach that high."

Turning away as she spoke, Byleth said, "These caverns don't appear to have been formed naturally. Someone built them, or at least carved them out."

Byleth gestured to the floor, which Dorothea now saw was a set of ornate yet aged panels, not natural rock.

Following Byleth's words, Dorothea said, "So, if someone built this cavern, there has to be a way out of it."

"Exactly."

The two looked around, but the faint rays of sunlight weren't enough for them to see into the darkness.

"Give me a second," Dorothea said as she readied a spell. Then, with a brief "_Lumis…_", she produced a small ball of light to float above her right palm. It wasn't much, but it was enough to illuminate the shadows.

The two saw a series of hollowed out passages along one of the walls. Indeed, the chamber was not a natural cave.

"Oh, great…" Dorothea whined. "Which one do we take?"

For a moment, Byleth pondered how to handle the question. Then, she put her index finger to her lips, licked it, and held it up as she walked over to the passages.

"Professor?" Dorothea asked.

"Shh… I'm trying to feel for the wind."

Byleth walked before two of the passageways before she felt a cool sensation on her index finger.

"This way," she gestured, and so the two ventured down the passageway.

The two remained silent as they walked, both so Byleth could listen for any trouble and because there wasn't really anything to talk about. Occasionally they'd reach a junction and, again, Byleth would feel for the wind to try and figure a way out. With no other means of navigation, it was all they could rely on. However, to ensure they wouldn't get lost, Byleth would occasionally cut at the walls with the Sword of the Creator, leaving markings in case they went in circles.

After a good half-hour of walking, the two entered a large dome-like chamber. No natural light was shining into the room, but from the echoes of their footsteps they knew it had to be a large enclosure.

"Let me give us some more light," said Dorothea, channeling more Mana into the light that still floated over her hand.

The floating ball expanded, and soon the whole chamber was flooded with light. It was far brighter than Dorothea had intended, but the cause was soon evident.

As their eyes adjusted to the light, Byleth and Dorothea saw an enormous mural spanning the ceiling of the chamber they stood in. The pictures in it depicted a civilization unlike any they had ever known, portrayed by dark colors and performing numerous violent acts, in conflict with an army of giant animals of many species. The animals were led by a massive winged beast of emerald and ivory, which appeared to be unleashing green flames upon the armies of the dark civilization. The mural continued to show the civilization's demise and the great winged beast breathing life into the scarred landscape. Despite the age of the room, the mural had withstood the test of time, only marred by cobwebs and dust rather than erosion.

"Whoa… What is all this?" asked Dorothea.

"Whatever it is, it's ancient," said Byleth. "I don't think anyone in Fódlan's ever seen this before."

"Or at least no one who's still alive today."

Byleth nodded at this, listening both to Dorothea and Sothis as the green girl chimed in.

"It truly is an impressive display," said Sothis. "I feel as though it is familiar to me, but…" Then, with a loud pout, she added, "Oh, confound it all! I just cannot remember! I feel as though I should know what it means, but again my memory fails me!" Then, calming down, Sothis said, "But it will do no good for me to fuss over it. After all, it is because of my need to remember that we are in our present dilemma."

"Who do you suppose those people were?" Dorothea asked, gesturing to the civilization. "Do you think they were the ones who lived here?"

"I don't think so," Byleth answered. "It shows the animals wiping them out. If they were indeed annihilated, they wouldn't have lived to make this mural."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Then, Dorothea's eyes widened as she looked at the winged beast and said, "Hey, Professor, look. In the middle of its head. Isn't that…"

Byleth looked at the winged beast's head and, to her surprise, she saw the Crest of Flames adorning its forehead.

"Isn't that the Crest of Flames?" asked Dorothea.

"Yeah… But I thought that Crest was given to Nemesis by the Goddess."

"The King of Liberation?"

"Yes. Rhea told me Nemesis was destroyed by Seiros after he became corrupted."

"But… why does that winged beast have it, then?"

Byleth was silent, not knowing the answer.

"The girl raises a very interesting point," said Sothis. "If Nemesis were indeed the first to bear the Crest of Flames, why does that creature bear it as well?"

"Hey, look, that one up there," Dorothea said as she pointed again. "Isn't that the Crest of Indech?"

Byleth looked to see Dorothea pointing at what looked to be a giant black tortoise, and indeed the Crest of Indech was on its forehead. They looked and saw each of the animals had a Crest on its head, but some of them did not match any known Crests in Fódlan. Some, however, were clearly recognizable, being Crests born by the Ten Heroes.

"What does this mean?" Sothis mused. "I wonder…"

A loud impact echoed from one of the passages and caused trails of dust to leak from the ceiling, breaking the three out of their trains of thought.

"What was that?" Dorothea asked, her floating light dimming as she was startled.

Byleth rested her hand on the pommel of the Sword of the Creator as she stepped in front of Dorothea, listening for any noise from the far passage. Another tremorous thud echoed through the darkness and again the ceiling shook.

"I do not think it wise to investigate that sound," said Sothis.

At the same time, Dorothea said, "Whatever's making that sound, I don't wanna know what it is."

Byleth did not answer either of them as slowly she made her way toward the far passage.

"P-Professor, what are you – wait up!"

Dorothea scampered after Byleth as the teacher cautiously made her way forward and began climbing a set of stairs in the far passage. As they made their way up, the air started to become stuffy and a foul stench filled their noses. They reached the top of the stairs and ventured a short distance down another passage to find another large chamber. Across on the opposite side, the two could see another passage, this one rather large and with light coming down from above.

Dorothea's face lit up with hope. It was a way out.

And then, seconds later, her hope was replaced by dread as a loud crunching footstep landed to their right.

Byleth quickly made a gesture for Dorothea to put out her light. As Dorothea put out the ball of light, Byleth then inched forward to the corner of their current passage so she could look around it.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw a grey-scaled Demonic Beast moving forward slowly on all fours. Its scales were not as dark as Miklan's had been when he had turned into a Black Beast, but this Demonic Beast still dwarfed the two women, easily as big as a house. From its many fangs, a violet mist ebbed from its mouth as it exhaled. Its nose made several sharp intakes of breath, smelling for something.

Byleth grimaced as the beast smelled more rapidly; it had caught their scent.

Having looked around the corner as well, Dorothea made a fearful gasp, prompting Byleth to push her back with a 'SHHH!'

Unfortunately, the Demonic Beast had heard them ever so faintly. It turned its head, growling as it tried to figure out where the noise had come from. It sniffed again, still catching the scent of prey nearby. Slowly it moved forward, following its sense of smell.

"That beast will surely discover us soon!" said Sothis, her voice thankfully unheard by the Demonic Beast. "And even with your blade, not even you could take a Demonic Beast on alone."

Turning back to Dorothea, Byleth whispered, "I'm going to get its attention. Once I do, run for the exit. I'll be right behind you."

Concerned, Dorothea said, "Professor! Don't be – ah…!"

Dorothea held a hand to her mouth as she realized just how loud she had been.

The Demonic Beast snarled and then roared, having discerned their location.

Byleth made her move, rushing out as she drew the Sword of the Creator. She didn't intend to kill the beast, but if she could buy Dorothea enough time to reach the exit, perhaps they could get away from it.

The beast rushed toward her, swinging one of its claws at Byleth as she dodged the blow. She slashed at its wrist, her blade leaving a bleeding cut through its scales. The beast snarled as it tried to swat her but again Byleth avoided the strike. The Demonic Beast made several more attempts to squash or slash Byleth, but she dodged each strike and countered with a shallow cut to its arms.

For an instant, Byleth turned back to see where Dorothea was. To her dismay, the girl hadn't run for the exit yet.

"Go! I'll be right be–"

"LOOK OUT!" Dorothea screamed.

Byleth spun back toward the Demonic Beast as it lunged its jaws forward with a speed it had not previously shown. Byleth tried to raise her blade to slash at its mouth, but she was too late.

Byleth let out a scream of agony as the Demonic Beast's fangs sank into her torso.

"PROFESSOR!"

As pain wracked Byleth's body, the Demonic Beast was about to lift her from the ground when time went still.

"You fool!" Sothis shouted. "Do not let yourself be distracted at a time like this!"

The Demonic Beast's fangs removed themselves from Byleth's body as its head lurched back. Byleth was now looking back at Dorothea just before she had screamed her warning.

Time resumed to the sound of Dorothea's scream.

"LOOK OUT!"

Byleth spun back around to see the Demonic Beast's head lunging for her once again. Knowing she wouldn't be able to stop the attack, Byleth jumped back to dodge it. But even then, she wasn't quite quick enough. The fangs of the Demonic Beast barely missed tearing into her flesh, but the beast's snout still slammed into Byleth's body, sending her flying back with a howl of pain. As she hit the wall behind her, the phantom pain from the beast's fangs tearing into her flesh wracked her body, and Byleth let out a horrible scream before she fell forward to the ground.

"PROFESSOR!" Dorothea screamed as she rushed toward her.

Byleth let out a painful gasp as she tried to push herself up, but her body was in such agony that she could barely move. The pain from both injuries had hit her simultaneously, overwhelming her senses. She didn't know how she hadn't lost consciousness.

She then looked up and, to her dread, saw Dorothea rushing to her, trying to ready a healing spell. Behind her, the Demonic Beast's mouth was beginning to emit a cloud of purple vapors.

"Professor, hang on!" Dorothea said fearfully. "I'll heal you!"

"N-No, d-don't!" Byleth wheezed. "R-Run… RUN…!"

The growling of the Demonic Beast caught Dorothea's attention, and the singer turned to see it raising its head, about to unleash a breath attack.

"D-Dorothea…!"

The Demonic Beast roared as it released its breath, sending a thick cloud of toxic gasses toward the pair.

* * *

_I'm being such a jerk with these cliffhangers, aren't I?_

_The mural scene was largely inspired by the first episode of the 90's Lodoss anime, when Parn and Deedlit come across the mural showing the war between the gods. I have to wonder if I revealed too much to Byleth too early with this._

_And yes, the phantom pain effect strikes again. Byleth has to stop being so careless. But seriously, imagine being chewed on by something around the size of a house with teeth as big as your arm. OUCH. Now imagine feeling that at the same instant as being thrown HARD into a brick wall. DOUBLE OUCH._


	54. Beast of the Red Canyon

_I'm betting you've guessed how Byleth and Dorothea are going to survive the cliffhanger, but you won't have guessed what else is coming!_

* * *

**Chapter 54 – Beast of the Red Canyon (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea spun around toward the Demonic Beast's breath as the poisonous cloud surged toward her and Byleth. She raised her arms to project a magical ward, despite her mind screaming that it wouldn't work. But she couldn't think of anything else to do. She couldn't run, and there was nowhere to seek shelter. And she couldn't let Byleth die.

The singer's barrier formed quickly as she poured as much Mana as she dared into the ward. As it finished forming, the venomous breath of the Demonic Beast struck it. The force of the breath made Dorothea stagger back, but she kept her balance as she struggled to keep the barrier from breaking. The breath parted as it struck the ward, which kept it from hitting either of the women behind it.

As Dorothea strained to keep the barrier up, she saw a small shimmering light out of the corner of her left eye. It was coming from her. More specifically, it was coming from the hairclip that rested over her left ear. And as Dorothea's barrier was bathed in its light, the barrier was strengthened against the Demonic Beast's attack.

Seconds later, the beast's attack passed, leaving two clouds of poisonous smoke to either side of Dorothea and Byleth. The singer fell to her knees as her barrier dissipated; the effort had exhausted her Mana.

But as Dorothea looked up, she saw the Demonic Beast wasn't finished with them.

On the ground, Byleth struggled to stand up from the pain that debilitated her. She was amazed that Dorothea had managed to block the beast's attack, yet she knew the singer couldn't keep it up.

Standing up on shaky legs, Dorothea drew Joyeuse as the Demonic Beast let out another roar. The singer assumed her stance.

Though Byleth couldn't see her face, she knew Dorothea had to be absolutely terrified. She knew she stood no chance against the Demonic Beast. She should have been fleeing for her life. So why was she trying to stand her ground?

"D-Dorothea… d-don't…" Byleth groaned painfully. "You're no match f-for it…"

"I'm not going to abandon you, Professor," Dorothea replied, though her voice trembled with fear.

The Demonic Beast reared back as it readied itself to charge.

But before it could attack, it was struck in its right eyeball by a well-placed arrow.

The beast let out an ear-splitting screech as it clutched painfully at its eye, thrashing about as it tried to remove the arrow.

Dorothea's eyes widened in surprise. She turned to see who had fired the arrow. Upon seeing their saviors, her expression became filled with dread.

It wasn't at the sight of Alois or Shamir, nor at the sight of a battalion of Church soldiers.

It was the sight of Archbishop Rhea behind them all. And Rhea was channeling a spell.

A second later, Dorothea let out a yelp of surprise as white light began to shine around her body as well as Byleth's. Then, before she could figure out what was going on, the two of them vanished briefly before reappearing right in front of Rhea. Dorothea looked to the Archbishop, realizing she had used a Rescue spell, a complicated bit of Faith magic that could warp another person to one's location.

Dorothea found herself trembling as she looked at Rhea. The Archbishop was not at all pleased to see them there.

"L-L-Lady Rhea…" Dorothea stammered in fear.

Rhea said nothing to the girl, and instead knelt next to Byleth as she began channeling a healing spell. Byleth let out a painful moan as the spell worked to numb her body. The bluette realized who was healing her as she looked up, and soon her face was filled with the same dread as Dorothea's.

"R-Rhea…?"

"Hush, child…" said Rhea. "All will be well."

As Rhea continued healing Byleth, Alois raised a hand toward the Demonic Beast and said, "Get into formation, men! Shields up front, pikes in behind! Move, move, move!"

The soldiers moved in concert as they advanced toward the Demonic Beast, while Shamir readied another arrow and fired it at the Demonic Beast, striking it in between the scales at its neck. The beast let out another screech of pain and continued to thrash about wildly, but it now knew where its attackers were coming from. It began to rush blindly toward the soldiers, who were still getting into formation.

"Look out! Spread out!" shouted one of the soldiers.

Some of the less experienced soldiers, panicked upon seeing the Demonic Beast charging at them, broke their formation and ran to the sides to avoid being hit.

"Stay together! Stay in formation!" Alois shouted, but it was no use.

The Demonic Beast, now catching sight of the soldiers with its one good eye, swung its right arm at two soldiers and swatted them, sending them crashing into a wall. Several soldiers drew their bows and started firing arrows at the beast, but unlike Shamir their accuracy was lacking, and their arrows bounced harmlessly off its scales. The beast swung its tail at a trio of soldiers as they tried to ready more arrows, crushing them underneath. Three heavily armored soldiers rushed in to try and get the beast's attention. The beast grabbed one of them in its left hand and slammed the screaming man to the ground under its claw.

Alois let out a loud grimace at seeing his soldiers being outmatched by the Demonic Beast. He hadn't expected this one to be so strong, even while partially blinded. As his men continued to cry out in terror, Alois readied his axe and rushed in to help his men.

"Hey, over here!" Alois shouted. He roared as he swung his axe at the monster's hind foot, the blow only partially getting through the scales.

The Demonic Beast let out another screech of pain before taking a hard swipe at Alois. The veteran knight, not expecting the beast to be so fast, raised his axe defensively, causing the blow to break the weapon and send him flying back with a yelp before he hit the ground on his back.

"Sir Alois!" one of the soldiers shouted in concern.

Raising a hand to signal his men, Alois said, "I'm okay! Just a bit winded!"

Then, as he sat upright, he made another yelp as the Demonic Beast rushed toward him, intent on crushing him. Alois scrambled to his feet and leapt away before the beast could flatten him, and then raised his axe before realizing it had been broken.

"Uh oh… that's not good."

Next to Rhea, Dorothea was watching the soldiers struggle against the Demonic Beast. She would have used her magic to attack it by now, but she had used up a lot of her Mana blocking the beast's breath attack.

She turned back to Rhea and Byleth and said, "Come on, Professor. We need you!"

Rhea finished her healing spell a few seconds later, and Byleth let out a stifled groan as she began to push herself up. Her hand clasped around the Sword of the Creator, and the blade began to glow once again.

"You should be able to stand now, Professor," said Rhea, which prompted Byleth to rise to her feet.

"R-Rhea, what are you–"

"There will be time for that later. For now, aid our soldiers in destroying this monster."

Byleth gave Rhea a nod before dashing forward toward the Demonic Beast.

Dorothea was about to follow her with Joyeuse when Rhea said, "Miss Arnault, I require your assistance."

"Huh?" Dorothea spun around in confusion.

"Help me to channel a spell that will burn away our foe. You no doubt are familiar with such a thing, yes?"

"O-Of course, Lady Rhea!"

Without sheathing Joyeuse, Dorothea raised a shaky hand to Rhea and began channeling what Mana she had left to the Archbishop. Rhea raised her hands before her, and an intricate magical circle began to form in front of her.

Shamir jumped in a backflip as the Demonic Beast's tail tried to swat her, avoiding the strike with practiced ease. Before she even landed, she fired another arrow, embedding in between the beast's scales around its tail. Alois made another swing at the monster's legs, having grabbed another axe, but this blow failed to break through the scales. Byleth lashed at the beast's head with her whip blade, slicing the monster's left horn.

The Demonic Beast let out another horrifying roar and then, to everyone's surprise, it jumped up and slammed itself down on the ground, releasing a shockwave around itself that sent everyone close to it flying back. Alois cried out as he slammed into a stone pillar, while Shamir managed to avoid the hit but now was in a bad position to fire from. Byleth, still aching with pain, fell to her knees again after being knocked back.

And then the beast seemed to react to something. It turned its head toward Rhea, its left eye focused on her.

Then it charged at her, intent on ripping the green-haired woman apart.

"Lady Rhea!" Byleth shouted as she desperately reached for the power of the Divine Pulse.

But as Byleth stood remembering her power's limitations, Dorothea stopped channeling her Mana and stepped in front of Rhea with Joyeuse readied. Rhea, on the other hand, did not move from her stance as Byleth watched, horrified that the monster was about to crush them.

The beast lunged its head forward.

And then, after a second, it let out another screech of pain, as Dorothea had stabbed it right up its left nostril with Joyeuse.

The Demonic Beast wrenched its head back in agony, startling Dorothea and making her lose her grip on Joyeuse, which was still sticking out of the monster's nose. As the beast continued to thrash around attempting to remove the blade from its face, Rhea opened her eyes as the Crest of Seiros shone within them.

"Begone from this world!" she shouted as she cast the spell Abraxas.

A pillar of pure holy light rained down upon the Demonic Beast from above, and the monster let out a horrified scream of pain as its body was seared by the light. Its scales and flesh began to burn away, and though it writhed and tried to escape the burning light, it could not stop its imminent demise.

Seconds later, the beast's cries of pain ended, and its one remaining eye dimmed as it collapsed to the ground. Its body began to decompose as it reverted to the form of a decaying human body, which crumbled to dust. Soon there was nothing left of the Demonic Beast but stains of its blood on the floor of the ruins.

Rhea brought her hands together in prayer.

"Goddess… have mercy upon this poor, lost soul, and give them peace in the hereafter."

Rhea then turned back to Byleth and Dorothea as the two checked on one another. All around them, the Church soldiers were tending to the wounded, while Alois and Shamir conferred with one another.

"Are you alright?" Byleth asked Dorothea.

"I'll be okay," Dorothea replied.

The singer then walked over to collect Joyeuse off the ground. As she grasped it, she made a disgusted groan at seeing the blade was covered in mucus.

"Eww… monster snot."

As Dorothea looked around to find something to wipe off her blade, she froze as Rhea said, "Professor Eisner, Miss Arnault. You two know very well that the Red Canyon is off-limits."

Alarmed, Byleth turned back to Rhea and said, "Rhea, I can explain–"

Raising a hand to interrupt Byleth, Rhea said, "Normally, I would punish you most severely for your trespass."

Dorothea's eyes widened with fear at this.

But then Rhea said in a more assuring tone, "However, given that you aided us in slaying a dangerous Demonic Beast, I will forgive your intrusion upon these hallowed grounds."

Dorothea let out a loud sigh of relief and said, "T-Thank you, Lady Rhea."

As Rhea smiled at Byleth and Dorothea, Shamir strode up to Rhea and said, "Don't get used to this, you two. You might be off the hook this time, but don't do something stupid like this again. Are we clear?"

"W-We won't, we promise! Right, Professor?"

Byleth could only nod at this.

Alois then walked up to them and asked, "Just to ask, why did you come here in the first place? I can't imagine it was simple curiosity."

Byleth hesitated to answer but realized the truth would be the best possible answer. Fibbing wasn't going to do her or Dorothea any favors.

"Well… when we first came here back during the Harpstring Moon, I felt as though this place were… familiar to me, even though I'd never been here before."

"Really?" Alois asked with a puzzled look.

"We thought it could've been memories of a past life or something like that," said Dorothea. "So, we thought that if we could come back here, maybe we could jog loose a few more memories."

"Is that so?" Rhea asked inquisitively. "Did you, perhaps, recall anything new?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Byleth said as she shook her head.

"I see." Then, smiling at them, Rhea added, "Nevertheless, I am sure that someday you will learn the answers you seek. The Goddess works in mysterious ways, after all. For now, let us return to Garreg Mach. You two must be exhausted from your little adventure. Oh, and Professor Eisner? Please ask for permission next time you wish to explore here."

"O-Of course, Lady Rhea…" Byleth said bashfully.

"Well, I'm not in any hurry to come back here," said Dorothea. "This place creeps me out. Uh, no offense, Lady Rhea."

Rhea gave another smile to Dorothea as she said, "I see my gift to you proved useful."

"Huh? Oh, the hairclip? Y-Yeah, I guess it really… really worked." Then, after a moment of silence, Dorothea blushed as she said, "Hey, um, does anybody have a washcloth? My sword's kinda…" She raised Joyeuse as a gesture with a nervous laugh, showing the mucus still clinging to the blade.

Shamir shook her head in exasperation as Alois let out a chuckle.

…

"Well, that isn't something I'm eager to repeat," Dorothea said to Byleth as the two sat in the dining hall before their plates of meat pie. "Our trip to Zanado, that is."

"It certainly was a… unique experience," said Byleth.

"Sure, if you wanna call it that."

Dorothea speared another piece of her pie and was about to bite into it when she was struck by realization.

"Hey, Professor? We never asked Lady Rhea what she was doing in Zanado." Byleth looked at Dorothea as she added, "Why would the Archbishop go personally to the Red Canyon?"

Byleth paused before she said, "That's a good question…"

"And… we never told her about that mural, right?"

"No, we didn't."

After a pause, Dorothea said, "Maybe that's for the best… We don't know what it meant, and it could've just been some piece of art, after all."

Byleth nodded wordlessly to this, though she suspected the mural had meant something more.

* * *

_This whole thing might've seemed a tad pointless, but it does get Dorothea more involved in Byleth's story, after all._

_Having Rhea show up at Zanado wasn't something I originally thought to do, but I didn't want Byleth and Dorothea to be saved by the other students. However, I needed a good reason for Alois and Shamir to be at the Red Canyon (hunting Dire Wolves didn't feel like a solid enough one), so I thought to have it be that they were guarding Rhea on a "pilgrimage". Of course, that's all implied, as our two leading ladies never asked Rhea why she was there._

_But stabbing a Demonic Beast in the nose? That one was there for laughs. :P_


	55. A Lost Childhood Friend

_We're going back underground! Well, not actually in this chapter, but this one sets that up._

_This chapter will have a modification of the Bernadetta/Yuri C-Support. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 55 – A Lost Childhood Friend (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea ran a hand through her long locks of hair as she walked toward the audience chamber of the monastery. Rhea had called her, Byleth and the three house leaders to her that afternoon, but Dorothea did not know why. At least she wouldn't be forced to eavesdrop.

After setting her hair over her shoulders, Dorothea made her way into the chamber, where the others were already waiting for her.

"Ah, there you are, Dorothea," said Edelgard. "We were just waiting for you."

"Edie, what's going on?" asked Dorothea.

"We were just about to find out," said Dimitri.

On cue, Rhea emerged from her office with Seteth in tow.

"Welcome, all of you," said Rhea. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice."

"So, what's this about?" asked Claude.

Seteth then said, "The first-year students are being reassigned for this month's mission. There has been a development down in Abyss, and we would like for you and the other first-year students to investigate and resolve the matter."

"Weren't we going to be heading to Remire Village?" asked Byleth.

"The situation in Remire has worsened," said Rhea. "The reports coming in suggest that such a task may be too disturbing for first-year students. I have thus reassigned the third-year students to handle Remire. Professor Manuela will be leading them."

"Additionally," Seteth said, "your familiarity with the Ashen Wolves and the denizens of Abyss is something the second- and third-year students lack. You will be meeting with them and Brother Aelfric down in Abyss to learn the situation. Make your preparations. You are to head down there, post-haste."

"Will Flayn be accompanying us?" asked Dimitri.

"After her previous experience, I do not think it safe for her to venture down there, nor would she be all too receptive to the idea."

"But we'd all be there to protect her, right everyone?" said Dorothea. The others nodded affirmatively to this.

"Regardless, Flayn is needed here in the monastery to aid in the infirmary while Professor Manuela is away."

"Oh, I see. That's a shame."

"That will be all," said Rhea. "Go now with the Goddess's blessing."

…

"Heading down to Abyss again?" Claude said with slight distaste. "Can't say I was too fond of my first trip down there."

"You can say that again," Dorothea said with a shudder, recalling her near-death encounter with the Death Knight.

Edelgard placed a hand on Dorothea's shoulder and said, "Dorothea, are you going to be alright heading down there again?"

Dorothea took a deep breath before she said, "Yeah, I think so. At least, as long as I have all of you with me."

Byleth, Dimitri, Claude and Edelgard all gave Dorothea reassuring smiles at this.

Then, a sly voice came out of the shadows and said, "Isn't this just adorable? You know how to pick your friends, songbird."

Startled, everyone turned to see Yuri emerge from a dark corner.

"Y-Yuri!" Dorothea exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you're all coming down to see us," Yuri answered with a smile. "I'm sure Lady Rhea told you all what's going on."

"Well, not exactly," said Dimitri. "We were only told there was a development in Abyss."

"What's happened, Yuri?" asked Byleth.

"There was another mercenary raid three days ago. We sent them packing, but this time we managed to take prisoners. We've spent the last few days questioning them. Balthus and Aelfric should know more by the time you join us."

Turning to the house leaders, Byleth said, "Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude, go and gather the others. We'll be heading down to Abyss in one hour."

"An hour? That's awfully quick," said Dorothea.

"I'd like to finish this up quickly so we can still help out in Remire."

"Professor, there is no guarantee that this will be something we can resolve in a short amount of time," said Edelgard. "Is there some other reason you wish for us to be so prompt?"

"Even if this ends up taking us a while, I want everyone ready as soon as possible. Think of it as extra training in mobilizing quickly."

"I see." Edelgard couldn't help but smile at Byleth's creative response.

"Well, you all heard her," said Yuri. "Go find your buddies. We'll meet up at the entrance to Abyss in an hour."

Nodding affirmatively, Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri all took off to find the other first-year students, while Byleth went to go and make her own preparations.

But as Dorothea was just about to leave, Yuri said, "Hold on a second, songbird. I need to ask you a favor."

"What is it?" Dorothea asked.

"I need your help to speak with one of your friends." Making a hand gesture, he added, "About this tall, purple hair, and timid as a mouse."

Knowing who he meant, Dorothea asked, "Bernadetta? Why do you need to speak to her? And why do you need my help with it?"

"Because I've tried speaking to her myself, and every time she sees me, she runs off like a scared rabbit. She and I share some history, you see."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now can you help me have a chat with her?"

"Uh, sure. I think she'd be at the greenhouse right now."

Dorothea and Yuri then made for the greenhouse, with Dorothea pondering how the lavender-haired rogue knew a shut-in like Bernadetta.

…

Bernadetta was humming to herself in the greenhouse as she admired one of the plants. The sound of the greenhouse door opening caught her attention, so she glanced toward it. She hoped it wasn't Raphael trying to sneak up and listen to her music; she was worried that he would try and humiliate her by making her perform on-stage.

She calmed down upon seeing Dorothea enter the greenhouse. The singed then called out, "Bern? Bern, are you here?"

"H-Hey, Dorothea," Bernadetta replied. "Did you need something?"

"Ah, there you are. There's a couple of things. First, the Professor wanted us to gather in town in an hour, and we're to bring our combat gear."

"W-What? We weren't supposed to be training today!"

"It's not training; our monthly assignment's been changed, so we're going down to Abyss."

"A-A-Abyss?! You mean with all those creepy underground guys?"

"Creepy, she calls us," Yuri said amusedly as he slipped up behind Bernadetta. "I'm crushed, Bern."

Bernadetta let out a loud "EEK!" as she spun around to see Yuri.

"You're a tricky one. Always trying to hide when I'm around."

"I-I-I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

"If you want forgiveness, then explain yourself. But please, cut to the chase. You tend to ramble on."

Bernadetta made a loud gulp at this.

"Bern, he just wanted to talk with you," said Dorothea. "Please, tell him why you've been avoiding him."

"O-Okay…" After a pause and a deep breath to calm down, Bernadetta said to Yuri, "Y-You remind me of one of my old friends."

"Oh, come now," said Yuri. "Whoever this friend of yours is can't possibly compare to me."

"I'm telling the truth!"

"All right, all right. What was this friend like, then? The way you run and hide from me, they must've been a real piece of work."

"That's not it at all. He was the assistant to the gardener at our estate. He was gentle, trustworthy… and, well, um, gorgeous."

"Gorgeous?" Dorothea asked in confusion. It wasn't a word one would normally use to describe a male friend.

Continuing, Bernadetta said, "He was the only person who was ever nice to me back then. We used to run around the gardens playing together."

"And why is it you keep running away from me?" asked Yuri.

"That's…" Bernadetta paused, but then realized she wasn't going to get out of telling the truth of the matter. She took another deep breath and said, "The thing is, because of me, he got in trouble. You see, my father hates commoners, and when he found out I was spending a lot of time with one… Well…" Bernadetta then buried her face in her hands as tears began flowing as she said, "I never saw him again! He's probably dead now! And it's all my fault!"

Dorothea walked up and placed her hands on Bernadetta's shoulders as the girl cried into her hands.

"There, there, Bern…" Dorothea cooed in reassurance.

Then, as Dorothea looked at Yuri, the rogue said, "Why would you think all that? Nothing you did would make his death your fault. And hating you for something that isn't your fault is absolutely absurd – delusional, even."

As Yuri said this, something clicked in Dorothea's mind. Too much was adding up by now.

The singer asked, "Wait a second… Yuri, are you–"

Yuri gestured for Dorothea to stay silent, and then said to Bernadetta, "Lemme just ask you something else, Bernadetta. Remember back when you were a kid? You tripped while holding some gardening shears. And your friend got cut pretty badly."

Bernadetta instantly stopped sobbing as she let out a gasp of surprise. "How did you know about that?" she asked, looking up at Yuri through her tear-soaked eyes.

"If I bore you any ill will, it would have been for cutting my face with those damn shears."

Bernadetta's eyes widened with realization, while Dorothea murmured, "I knew it."

"That friend? That was me, Bernadetta."

Bernadetta was frozen in absolute shock at this reveal.

Then, playfully, Yuri said, "Anyway, I'm glad I finally got to hear how you felt about all of that. Let's spend time together and chat about the good ol' days. Get to know each other again." Then, as Yuri turned to leave, he said, "Oh, and thanks for the help, songbird. I'll see you and the others in Abyss."

"Sure, Yuri."

With that, Yuri slinked out of the greenhouse, leaving Dorothea and Bernadetta alone.

As soon as Yuri was gone, Dorothea said, "Well, Bern? Isn't it great that you got to see your old friend again? … Bern?"

Dorothea moved in front of Bernadetta to look at her, and saw the girl had a blank look in her eyes. The purple-haired girl did not respond to any movement Dorothea made, but stood wobbling in place.

Dorothea was left utterly flabbergasted at how Bernadetta had managed to faint while standing up.

…

When Bernadetta regained consciousness, she found herself sitting on a bench in the middle of town. Her bow and quiver were laid out at her feet. In a comical display, she began whipping her head around, looking to see what had just happened and where she was.

"Huh? What? W-Where am I?"

As she regained her wits, Bernadetta saw the other first-year students were gathered around her, all of them carrying their weapons and equipment. Lysithea was having a small argument with Lorenz on something she couldn't make out over the noise of the others. Raphael was eating some cooked meat on a stick and trying to get Ignatz to have some as well, while Ingrid was berating the large boy's sloppy manners. Annette was eating some candy while sitting next to Mercedes. Petra and Edelgard were having a discussion as well, while Ferdinand and Hubert were bickering over the former's desire to outshine Edelgard. Sylvain was flirting with a couple of village girls, one who slapped him after he tried a poorly chosen pick-up phrase. Felix watched Sylvain's failure and let out a loud groan of disapproval.

"Bern? Are you alright?" said Dorothea as she sat down next to the purple-haired archer.

Bernadetta let out another squeak of fear as she spun around, but she stopped herself from screaming out in terror upon seeing Dorothea's face.

"D-Dorothea? What happened? Why am I here?" Bernadetta asked frantically.

"Don't you remember? You and I were having a chat with Yuri and, after he left you, umm, fainted… while standing up."

It took Bernadetta a moment to process everything. She looked as though she were going to faint again.

But instead of fainting, Bernadetta let out a loud, comical, "EEEEEEHHH?!"

* * *

_Such a confused Bernie-Bear, isn't she?_

_I suppose Dorothea wasn't entirely necessary for the Yuri/Bernadetta C-Support, but I wanted her around for it. Besides, someone had to carry Bernie after she fainted, right?_

_I should also note that despite the chapter indicating otherwise, I'll still be doing the Remire Calamity, as it's important to the story. It's just going to be after quite a few chapters to cover the Cindered Shadows arc._


	56. Mysteries in Abyss

_More filler, more-or-less. Think of it as a setup for something I've wanted to do for a while._

* * *

**Chapter 56 – Mysteries in Abyss (Red Wolf Moon)**

"So, did your prisoners reveal anything?" Claude asked the Ashen Wolves as he and the other first-year students sat before them in a space that resembled a classroom.

"Not a word," said Yuri. "And they wouldn't name names. I got the feeling they didn't know much themselves. However, one thing is clear. Whoever hired them is after something here in Abyss."

"We think they must have been on a treasure hunt or something," said Balthus.

"A treasure hunt here?" asked Annette.

"I… don't get it," added Caspar.

"What could they possibly seek in these squalid catacombs?" said Lorenz.

"No idea," said Hapi. "Whatever it is, it's gotta be something valuable if they're sending so much muscle down."

The students let out numerous murmurs as they began to discuss what the mercenaries could have been searching for. As they did, Dorothea looked over to see Aelfric stroking his temple as he pondered.

"Brother Aelfric?" asked Dorothea. "Is this ringing any bells for you?"

Everyone quieted down to allow Aelfric to speak.

"Well, something does come to mind," he said, "but the notion is preposterous at best."

"Never discount a wild hunch," said Claude. "Sometimes they're closer to the truth than you'd think."

"Any lead will do, so long as it helps determine our next course of action," said Dimitri. "Please, go on, Brother Aelfric."

"As you wish, though again, it is quite far-fetched," said Aelfric. "You see, there is a longstanding legend here. It is said that deep underground, below even Abyss, is a place called the Chasm of the Bound wherein lies the Chalice of Beginnings.

Dorothea's eyes widened as Aelfric finished his sentence, though only Byleth noticed this.

"The Chasm of the Bound?" asked Mercedes. "Sounds spooky!"

"Huh. This is the first I've heard of it…" said Yuri. "So, you believe Abyss is connected to that place?"

"Lots of twists and turns down here, so it's not the craziest idea ever," said Balthus. "Must be well hidden though."

"And what about this Chalice of Beginnings you mentioned?" asked Ignatz.

"I've never heard of it," said Linhardt, "but chances are it's some kind of sacred artifact belonging to the church."

Aelfric then said, "I once happened upon an old document that mentioned a ritual called the Rite of Rising. The text was incomplete, so I was unable to achieve a full understanding of the topic. I cannot even guarantee the authenticity of what I read. But it stated that the Chalice of Beginnings is a sacred object crafted by order of Saint Seiros herself. Saint Seiros apparently used the artifact to carry out the Rite of Rising, along with the Four Apostles."

"The Four Apostles? Who're they?" asked Annette.

"I vaguely recall reading about the Four Apostles," said Linhardt. "They were saints… and that's about all anyone knows. Hardly any records of them remain. Few alive even know their names, but these apostles supposedly assisted the Four Saints with their holy work."

"And what about this 'Rite of Rising' then?" asked Hubert.

"It is a ritual that is believed to have the power to resurrect a life that was lost," said Aelfric, which created quite a stir for the students. "However, the ritual failed… The Four Apostles bound the chalice so that it would never fall into a mortal's hands."

"The Rite of Rising, eh?" Claude remarked, following with a contemplative "Hmm…"

Constance then said, "Ah, yes, the chalice of legend! My father mentioned it to me a very long time ago. A secret treasure of the church… A chalice powerful enough to resurrect the dead… Exhilarating, no?"

"Indeed, it does sound rather intriguing," said Ferdinand.

"Quite…" added Dimitri. "It is no small wonder that people are after it."

"Sounds too good to be true, if you ask me," said Felix. "All those men after it are likely chasing a myth."

"Even so, we still don't have much to go on," said Edelgard. "We must gather more information about this legend at once."

"I wholeheartedly agree," said Aelfric. "I will do all I can to track down more clues within the monastery. Although, Garreg Mach's library is so… well curated, I doubt any further records will be found."

"Wondrous! We shall do all that we can as well," said Constance.

"Let's have a look through the library here in Abyss," said Ignatz. "Between us, it shouldn't take too long to find something."

"Aww, reading? I'm not really into that kind of stuff," said Raphael.

…

The students spent the next three hours in the Shadow Library in Abyss, which held a numerous forbidden texts and lost archives that either had been disposed of by the Church or simply were lost elsewhere. The contents of several of the books did not match their covers, leading to many instances of the students reading shocking materials. Annette let out a loud yelp upon seeing that one book she had opened was a form of erotic literature, despite that its cover was on an entirely different subject.

As Byleth looked through some of the higher shelves atop a ladder while Dorothea held it steady, the bluette was surprised to see a familiar redhead enter the library with a book in hand. The Professor quickly descended the ladder and strode over to the merchant as she returned the book to one of the shelves.

"Anna? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey By!" said Anna. "I was just checking through some old documents. Thought I might find a few sites where there might be buried treasure in Fódlan."

"Buried treasure?" Dorothea asked inquisitively. "Find anything?"

"Not yet, but I think I'm getting close."

"Ah, Miss Anna!" Constance said dramatically. "It is always a pleasure. Perchance, have you been able to see to our little problem with the bathhouse?"

"It was a cinch to fix. I'll spare you the details, but you can go have yourself a nice hot soak whenever you wish now."

"Ohoho, splendid~! There is nothing quite like a hot bath after a long day of research."

"What's this I'm hearing about a hot bath?" asked Sylvain.

"We've got a big bathhouse down here with a hot water spring," said Hapi.

"Yeah, really hits the spot after you've worked up a sweat," said Balthus.

Dorothea made a drawn out "Hmm…" at hearing this, and then said, "Hey, anybody want to take a break?"

"Why a break now, Dorothea?" asked Edelgard.

"Let me guess," said Hilda, "you wanna have a soak, don't you? Count me in."

"Oh, me too!" said Annette. "How about you, Mercie?"

"I would enjoy having a nice bath right about now," Mercedes replied.

"I'm in!" said Anna. "Seeing as I fixed it and all that."

"Yeah, count me in!" said Sylvain. This earned the redheaded skirt chaser many glares of disapproval.

"Sorry, Sylvain, but ladies first," said Hilda. "That goes for you too, Baltie."

"Aww, come on, Hilda," said Balthus. "I don't mind you all seeing me in nothing but my–"

"WE would mind a lot!" Hilda snapped.

"I'll go too," said Ingrid. "Someone's going to have to keep an eye out for any peepers."

"I do suppose a recess is in order," said Constance. "What say you, your Highness?"

"I… think I'll pass," said Edelgard. "I'm not comfortable with the idea of you all seeing me in nothing but my skin."

"I'll pass too," said Leonie. "There's still work to be done."

"M-Me too," said Bernadetta. "I can't swim anyway, so…"

"It's not that deep, Bunny," said Hapi. "Anyhow, I'm in. How about you, Chatterbox?"

The girls all turned to Byleth at this moment. Byleth paused before she said, "I guess I could join in."

Dorothea noticed as Byleth tried to hide a blush.

"Splendid!" declared Constance. "Shall we?"

The girls aside from Edelgard, Bernadetta and Leonie, all followed Constance and Hapi to the Abyss bathhouse.

…

Dorothea made a gasp of wonder as the girls entered the bathhouse. To be more accurate, it was a wide cave with a large steaming pool of bubbling mineral water, with a small shack nearby as a changeroom. The area did not appear to be entirely natural, as several glowing lines of an unknown metal were extended into the water from a strange device near a brick wall. However, parts of the cave were clearly not artificial, with several large stalagmites emerging from the ground and from the water. Curiously, though there were stalagmites, there were no stalactites on the ceiling.

"A wondrous place, is it not?" Constance proclaimed. "I do so love coming here. I know not who built it, but were I to meet them, they would most assuredly have earned my praise."

"Quite the impressive place," said Lysithea. "Both natural and artificial."

Mercedes then stepped up to the pool and put a hand to the water, concerned that the water could be boiling. She slowly dipped her hand in, finding it wasn't scalding her hand.

"Oh wow, it's just the right temperature," said Mercedes.

"Indeed, dear Mercedes," said Constance. "I've ne'er found it too intense nor lukewarm. Truly whoever designed it placed great value on one's comfort."

Then, looking at the strange device, Annette asked, "Hey, what's that thing?"

Stepping up to the device, Anna said, "That's what I had to fix here. This device is what keeps the water at just the right temperature. It also purifies the water so that it doesn't get polluted."

"I've never seen something like this," said Ingrid. "It almost looks like it's not of this world."

"And you knew how to fix it?" asked Hilda. "I'm impressed."

"Heh, just one of my many talents," Anna said with a wink.

"Miss Anna, have you seen devices like this elsewhere?" asked Lysithea.

"Well, not completely the same, but yeah, you occasionally find Magitek like this in other parts of the world. Elibe, Tellius, etcetera."

"Magitek?" asked Dorothea.

"Ancient technology that seems to be powered by magic, as far as I can tell. I'm afraid I can't tell you who made it originally; all knowledge of how it's made or who made it has been lost to the ages. And I don't claim to be an expert on the subject; there are people I've met elsewhere who know a lot more than I do."

"You know, it kinda looks like that gizmo that Professor Hanneman has in his office," said Hilda.

"Maybe that's Magitek too?" said Annette.

"It could be," said Byleth. "I could ask him at some point."

"Alright, alright, enough of the brainy stuff," said Hapi. "Let's get in the water already."

Then, to the other girls' surprise, the dark-skinned redhead stripped off her jacket before even reaching the changeroom.

"Hapi!" Constance said indignantly. "What have I told you about disrobing out in the open like this?!"

"Oh, come on, Coco, we're all girls here." Showing a lack of modesty, Hapi threw aside her jacket, removed her black chain choker, and then lifted her crop top off her body, leaving her topless.

Looking back at the others, Hapi said, "What're you all waiting for? Clothes off, people."

As Hapi strutted into the changeroom to finish disrobing, Mercedes said to Constance, "Your friend is rather… carefree, isn't she?"

"That is… not the term I would use, Mercedes…" said Constance.

* * *

_Yep, the next chapter is the obligatory hot spring chapter. Yay!_

_I would've made this a single chapter, but it'd have gone WAY beyond my self-imposed word limit. So, sorry, you're gonna have to wait until the next update._

_And yes, Anna knows Magitek. It makes sense that she's the one who knows the most out of anyone (even if she's no real expert)._


	57. Expressive

_Now for something of a specialty of mine: an ecchi hot springs chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 57 – Expressive (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea let out a loud sigh of contentment as she lowered herself into the pool of natural water, clothed only in a towel. Most of the other girls were already soaking in the pool, clothed only in towels, though Byleth was still removing her clothes in the nearby changeroom.

"Ohh, this feels so gooood~" Dorothea cooed. "I could get used to this."

"You said it," said Anna, whose hair was unbound as she soaked across from the students. "If only sales were this good…"

"Feels really nice, doesn't it?" asked Hapi. "I normally don't come here too often. If I spend too long in here, I could end up sighing."

"Y-Yeah, wouldn't want a monster spoiling this," Anna replied.

"Come on, Mary," said Hilda. "There's no need to be shy. We're all girls here."

"B-B-But I– H-Hilda…!"

Marianne protested as Hilda tried to nudge her down into the bubbling pool of water, the blue-haired girl's cheeks visibly red with embarrassment.

"The water's just right, Mary~" said Hilda. "Come on, you need this."

"You are not needing the unwillingness to join in, Marianne," said Petra. "This water is of warmness very much like the springs in Brigid."

"Oh, so you've got hot springs there?" asked Annette. "That sounds nice."

While Annette was praising Petra, Dorothea noticed that Constance was giving the Brigid princess a silent glare. She wondered what it was about, but she was not inclined to get into a conversation with the arrogant blonde.

"The Professor seems to be taking her time," said Lysithea.

"I wonder what's keeping her," said Mercedes. "It's a shame Edelgard didn't want to come in. The water feels just the right temperature."

"You can say that again, Mom Mounds," Hapi said with a smirk.

"Mom Mounds? What do you mean by that?" Mercedes was completely confused.

The others, however, knew what Hapi was implying, with Lysithea staring jealously at Mercedes' chest. Hilda snickered at this notion.

Anna made a short laugh and said, "Ah, kids these days." Then, looking at the changerooms, she saw Byleth emerge and said, "About time, By! Come on in, the water's great!"

The girls all turned to look at Byleth as the Professor made her way toward the pool, with only a large towel covering her curvaceous body.

"Whoahohoa, Professor~" said Hilda. "Where've you been hiding that bod?"

"Is everyone enjoying themselves?" Byleth asked.

"I'd say so," said Dorothea.

"Indeed, this pool is meant to be enjoyed by all!" said Constance. "Please partake of it, Professor Eisner."

"Thank you, Constance."

Byleth then slipped into the pool with the students, letting her body relax in the warm waters. She couldn't help but let out a sigh of approval as she sat down.

For the next several minutes, the girls chatted amongst each other or helped the others clean their bodies. Several small wooden bowls were nearby to help pour water over their backs or into their hair. All the while, Ingrid kept her eyes peeled for anyone who might violate their privacy.

Then, as she sat and smiled at how the girls were having a good time, Byleth saw Lysithea looking at her with an accusing glare.

"Lysithea?" Byleth asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Professor, can you answer me something?" asked Lysithea.

"Of course, I can."

"Alright then…" Shutting her eyes in annoyance as she took a deep breath, Lysithea then said, "How in the world… did your chest get to be so big?!"

Byleth's face went to one of total surprise at such an inappropriate question, especially since Lysithea was now pointing at her in accusation.

"E-Excuse me?"

The others turned to Lysithea with looks of amusement on their faces. Petra, on the other hand, was utterly confused, while Annette started to take a gloomier expression, and Marianne's blush deepened.

"Look at you!" Lysithea snapped. "Compared to everyone else here, your breasts are simply massive! I've never seen anyone so top-heavy besides Professor Manuela, and you don't sag like she does!"

Dorothea almost burst out laughing at this. Seeing Lysithea get so worked up over someone else's endowment wasn't something she would've expected from the white-haired mage.

"Ooh, someone sounds jealous," Hilda said with a smirk. "Is it because you're flat as a ki–"

"Hilda, utter one more syllable and I'll drown you!" Lysithea snapped.

"Now, now, Lysithea, there's no need to get mad," said Mercedes. "You're still growing, after all. Maybe you'll get as big as her in a little while."

"W-Who said I wanted to get THAT much bigger?!" Lysithea blushed as she said, "You think I'd want breasts as big as the Professor's? How does she even stand up straight with those things?"

Now Dorothea couldn't stop herself from laughing loudly, and this made Byleth's face flush red from embarrassment.

Though she tried to stay serious, Ingrid couldn't help but let out a short laugh as she said, "Honestly, I agree with Lysithea. If I had a chest that large, I'd never be able to keep my balance. It must be rather inconvenient for you, Professor."

"I concur!" Constance said with an entertained smile. "I already have beauty to spare, so I would not need such a massive endowment."

"If you say so, Coco," said Hapi. "But seriously, Chatterbox, your tits are huge."

"W-W-Why are you all going on about such an inappropriate topic?!" Byleth stammered.

Everyone stared at Byleth at this moment, which made her face go even redder. The others laughed at this, though Lysithea continued to sulk a bit, and now Annette was starting to show her own envy at Byleth's bust size.

As she finally stopped giggling, Dorothea said, "That's a really cute blush."

"D-Dorothea…!" Byleth whined.

"You know, Professor, when you first came to the monastery, you never made a face like that. In fact, whenever I looked at you, your expressions were always more like… like a statue's."

Now confused, Byleth asked, "A-A statue? What do you mean by that?"

Smiling, Dorothea answered, "You were never this lively back then, and nowadays I see you smiling a lot more. Oh, and making cute faces like that."

Hit by sudden realization, Byleth glanced down as she said, "I… I guess you're right…"

"Yeah, Dorothea's got a point," said Hilda. "You were honestly a bit spooky at first, but now you're so much happier these days."

"You really think so?"

"Of course, Professor!"

"I must concur with Hilda's point," said Lysithea. "Truth be told, your expressions were somewhat unnerving, as if you didn't feel anything."

"Oh, I can tell you she feels things now," Dorothea said with a sly smile as she slipped through the water. "Especially things like THIS!"

Byleth realized what was coming a second too late and let out a shriek of embarrassment as Dorothea's hands grabbed her huge breasts through her towel.

"AHH! DOROTHEA, STOP THAT!"

"Oho no, this is too much fun!" Dorothea giggled.

Hapi, Hilda and Anna started laughing at the display, while Mercedes had to giggle as well. Petra continued to remain confused while Ingrid let out a sigh of disapproval toward Dorothea's raunchy actions. Annette and Lysithea both let out loud groans of discontent, clearly jealous of Byleth's womanly features.

Then, Hilda said, "Heh, that kinda makes me want to join in. Hey, Mary, watch out~"

"Huh?! Wait, no! Don– EEEYAAA!"

Marianne let out a loud embarrassed scream as Hilda began groping her. One hand was to Marianne's covered chest while another caressed her thighs.

"H-H-Hilda, stop that!" Marianne mewled. "Please, stop touching me like that!"

"Oh, come on, Mary. I'll let you do it to me~"

"B-But I don't want to– DYAA!"

Hilda gave Marianne's butt a small pinch, leading to more cries of protest from Marianne.

"Oh my, how lurid," Constance said as she watched the amorous display. "Must you all be so uncivili– AAAIEEEEEE!"

Constance's cheeks turned red as Hapi slipped up behind her and started groping the blonde as well. Constance shrieked and thrashed to try and break free, but she lacked the physical strength to stop Hapi from squeezing her reasonably sized chest.

"H-H-H-HAPI, CEASE THIS AT ONCE! Y-YOU KNOW I HATE IT WHEN YOU – AAAHHH!"

Constance let out another yelp as Hapi yanked down the blonde's towel and started pinching her nipples. Constance was about to consider trying to cast a spell, but the dark-skinned redhead stopped her as she started nibbling on Constance's left ear.

"A-A-Aaaahhh…! N-Not that…!" Constance gasped.

"Come on, Coco," Hapi said as she nibbled Constance's ear. "You know I won't sigh if you let me have some fun."

"T-This is h-h-hardly f-fun for m-me! AAHAAHAAHNN~! M-M-Mercedes, help!"

Mercedes looked at Constance and could only give a nervous laugh at this.

And then Mercedes made a surprised "OH!" when she felt Annette swim up in front of her and place a hand on Mercedes' own huge endowment.

"A-Annie, not you, too!" Mercedes whined.

"Please, Mercie, just let me feel your Mom Mounds for a bit…" Annette whimpered.

"M-Mom Mou– Oh, that's what Hapi meant?" Mercedes blushed at this. Then, in a tone of acceptance, she said, "Oh, alright, Annie. B-But please, be gentle…"

Annette buried her face in between Mercedes' boobs after pulling down the blonde's towel, giving the mounds occasional squeezes.

"I'll never get boobs like these…" Annette whined.

"Y-You know, I've heard that if you drink a lot of milk, it can make your chest grow bigger," Mercedes said somewhat nervously.

"M-Milk?" Annette backed up for a second and took a long look at Mercedes' chest. Amusingly, her breasts were floating in the water now that they were unbound by her towel.

Then, in a fit of pique, Annette said, "Let me have some of your milk, Mercie!"

Mercedes then let out a loud gasp of surprise as Annette latched her mouth over her right nipple and starting sucking on it.

"A-A-Annie, not so rough!" Mercedes gasped. "Oh my, you're just like an infant. E-EHH?!"

To Mercedes' further surprise, Lysithea had swam over to her and, mimicking Annette, started sucking on the blonde's left teat.

"AHH! L-Lysitheaaa! N-N-Not you too! AAHHNN!"

After a good ten seconds of sucking, Lysithea briefly released her mouth's grip on Mercedes as she said, "There's nothing coming out. I'll just have to try harder!"

Lysithea then started sucking harder, prompting more cries from Mercedes.

"Y-Y-You two… Even if y-you suck harder, nothing w-will come out… Ahh! I… I need to have a b-baby first…! OHH!"

Unfortunately for Mercedes, Annette and Lysithea did not listen and continued to suck at her nipples.

Sitting next to Anna, Petra looked around at the lewd display at a complete loss of comprehension.

"I do not have understanding," said Petra. "Why are the others having such interest in each other's chests?"

Anna let out a silly laugh, knowing she would have to explain it to the Brigid princess.

At that moment, Byleth let out a loud "NNGH!" as she finally wrenched herself free of Dorothea's grip, but in doing so she ended up losing her towel. Byleth glared indignantly as Dorothea held the tower in her hand and giggled.

"Will you be wanting this back?" Dorothea asked playfully.

Shutting her eyes briefly, Byleth said, "That's alright… I think I'll just take YOURS!"

To Dorothea's surprise, Byleth lunged forward, grabbed the singer's towel, and almost literally ripped it from her body. Dorothea let out a loud "OHH~!" as she was stripped naked, yet she didn't seem nearly as flustered as everyone else.

"Oh my, Professor~" Dorothea said playfully. "Getting into this, are we?"

Byleth did not move to grope the singer, not wanting to stoop to her level, but instead wrapped the stolen towel around her figure.

Then, just as Byleth was considering dunking the singer underwater for a bit, she stopped as she heard Sothis in her head.

"I do hate to interrupt your fun," Sothis said, "but someone appears to be spying on us."

Byleth immediately darted her eyes around and, after a second, saw a familiar set of red hair hiding behind some rocks in the semi-natural cave. She reached over to the side of the pool and grabbed one of the wooden bowls, and then threw it at the interloper.

Sylvain let out a loud yelp as the bowl struck his forehead.

This caused all the girls to stop dead in their tracks. Then, upon seeing Sylvain had been spying on them, the girls all let out a series of loud screams.

"S-S-SYLVAIN?!" Dorothea snapped.

"What are you doing here, Sylvain?" said Mercedes.

"You pervert!" Hilda shouted. "I can't believe you'd actually do this!"

"You detestable voyeur!" Constance snapped, having pulled back up her towel as she raised a hand, preparing to cast a spell. "I will incinerate you for your lechery!"

Sylvain let out a series of nervous laughs as he said, "H-H-Hey, ladies, let's not be too hasty…"

Constance was about to send a fireball at Sylvain when Ingrid grabbed her wrist and pushed it down.

Before Constance could protest, Ingrid said in a tone of tranquil fury, "Everyone, please leave this to me."

Ingrid stomped out of the pool and over to a nearby bench where she had laid a covered weapon. She swiftly removed the cover, revealing the Hero's Relic Luin. The lance glowed brightly as the bearer of the Minor Crest of Daphnel took hold of it.

"W-W-W-W-Wait a second, Ingrid!" Sylvain stammered. "You don't really need Luin for this, do you?!"

Ingrid simply stomped toward Sylvain with her lance at the ready, so Sylvain let out a cry of terror as he fled from the blonde.

"GET BACK HERE, SYLVAIN!" Ingrid shouted as she started running after him, still clothed only in her towel.

The others looked on stunned at their antics.

Then, after a moment of silence, Dorothea asked, "Professor, should we stop her?"

"No," Byleth answered. "He's reaping what he's sown."

The others murmured in agreement.

"Well, I think that's enough fun for now," said Dorothea. "Maybe we should get back to the library?"

"Yeah, I guess so," said Hilda. "Sorry about that, Mary."

Marianne could only keep blushing as she wrapped her arms defensively around herself.

"I apologize too, Professor," said Lysithea. "And to you, Mercedes. I just had to get that out of my system."

"T-That's alright…" said Mercedes. "I'm sure you'll grow bigger someday…"

"I guess we'll need to add more milk to our diet, right Lysithea?" said Annette, to which Lysithea nodded in agreement.

As the others began to leave the pool and headed back to the changeroom, Dorothea said to Byleth, "I guess I should say sorry too. But really, I couldn't help myself."

"I'm sure you could have," Byleth said in an unamused tone.

"Oh, come on, Professor. You looked like you were getting into it."

As Dorothea let out a melodious laugh, Byleth could not help but smile at the singer's infectious mirth.

…

Sylvain's heart thumped hard in his chest as he fled for dear life from Ingrid. He had never seen the blonde so angry with him. He was quite sure she was trying to kill him this time.

Of course, that was all part of the game to him. He just had made a really bad play.

Unfortunately, the redhead took a wrong turn in the hot spring cave and soon found himself at a dead end. He spun around to see Ingrid had caught up to him. Luin glowed in her hand as she stomped angrily toward him.

"I-Ingrid, you don't have to go this far, okay?" said Sylvain. "Come on, I don't deserve this!"

"Oh no, you deserve exactly what's coming, Sylvain," said Ingrid. "What you just did was unforgivable!"

Then, Ingrid stopped for a second as she looked Sylvain in the eye. She saw his gaze was wandering toward her body. Sylvain then realized that Ingrid could see that.

"Prepare yourself!" Ingrid shouted as she rushed forward.

But as she raised Luin to swing it at Sylvain, her towel snagged on a rock and came loose from her body, falling to the ground.

Surprised, Ingrid stopped her attack as Sylvain stared at her, the blonde completely naked.

Her cheeks began to flush bright red as she made a series of small embarrassed gasps.

Then, as if to set her off, Sylvain said, "Whoa…"

Ingrid screamed at the top of her lungs as she swung Luin at Sylvain, smashing him across the head with the lance's shaft and instantly knocking him unconscious.

* * *

_Ahh, lewd writings. I never realized when I started it back in Bathhouse of Legends that I'd have such a knack for it._

_I know some of you are gonna read this and just go "WTF", but please, just roll with it. I view it as fanservice with a purpose in that it builds bonds between the characters. _;)


	58. Into the Deep

_Argh, I'm making these too long again. But hey, this chapter has plenty of Dorothea/Constance dynamic, but I might be heavy-handed again._

* * *

**Chapter 58 – Into the Deep (Red Wolf Moon)**

Byleth knew she should have expected Aelfric would object to an actual search for the Chalice of Beginnings. From around a corner, she and Dorothea heard the monk now attempting to dissuade the Ashen Wolves and some of the first-year students from such an endeavor.

"The answer is no," Aelfric said to the students and Ashen Wolves. "I will not allow it. It is far too dangerous."

"Ah, but if we can determine its origin, we may eliminate the very danger that vexes you!" said Constance.

"You already know this," said Balthus, "but there are plenty of folks down here who can't defend themselves. If these attacks keep up, eventually they'll find themselves in harm's way."

"Yes, I am aware," said Aelfric." However, for the time being, you must promise to refrain from acting recklessly. My dear flock has suffered enough as it is. You needn't take any further risks. That goes for all of you."

With that, Aelfric took his leave.

"Surprisingly overbearing, isn't he?" Hilda said to the Ashen Wolves. "He must really care about you guys. Reminds me of Holst, in a way."

"Most certainly," said Constance. "Yet if we fail to nip this problem in the bud… I shudder to think of what will transpire."

After a second of silence, Petra then said, "Nip in the bud? I do not have understanding of such words."

Constance made a small "Tch…" at Petra before noticing Byleth and Dorothea, accompanied by the rest of the first-year students. She then said to Byleth, "Aha, it is you all! In the nick of time, as it were. Come, let us venture into the deep, deep underground. The chalice of legend awaits!"

"We're going underground?" asked Mercedes.

"But of course, dear Mercedes! Deeper and deeper still beneath the monastery, to the Chasm of the Bound."

"To find the Chalice of Beginnings, I presume?" asked Ferdinand. "No matter what peril awaits us, we will surely discover it."

Hapi then said to Constance, "Coco… You didn't hear a word Elfie said, did you?"

"I surely did, but we must read between the lines," said Constance. "Aelfric wants a solution as badly as we do. And so, we shall seek out the Chalice of Beginnings and present it to the church! If our enemies desire the object, this should halt all future attacks on Abyss! Ahaha! Brilliant, no?"

"Makes sense to me," said Leonie.

"That is, if it's down there," said Ignatz.

"Yeah, let's go find it!" said Caspar.

"I'm not so sure about that," said Claude. "According to legend, there's some kind of binding that protects it from would-be thieves. Even if we find it, we can't just walk up and take it unless we figure out how to break that thing."

"A valid point," said Lysithea.

"Ah, but that is simplicity itself!" Constance replied. "We shall first ascertain whether it is still bound, and then… we shall release it!"

"But where is this chasm, anyway?" asked Balthus. "I've never even heard of the place, much less seen it."

"As luck would have it, I have discovered yet another secret passage! It appears to go deep underground. According to my superior instincts, it undoubtedly leads to the Chasm of the Bound!"

"Huh. I suppose it's worth a look," said Yuri. "I don't care about finding some old cup, but if it could help us protect Abyss, I'll support the cause."

"Count me in too!" said Caspar. This was followed by voices of approval and support from several of the other students.

Constance then looked to Byleth and said, "You'll surely assist us, will you not?"

"We'll go with you," Byleth said with a nod.

"I don't have anything scheduled before my next nap, so I guess that's fine," said Linhardt. "Edelgard doesn't look too thrilled, though…"

Turning to Edelgard, Dorothea asked, "Not interested in a treasure hunt, Edie?"

"It's not that," said Edelgard. "I just… oh, nevermind. Very well, I will join you."

"That's the spirit, Edie!"

It was then that Petra, who had held a look of confusion on her face for a while now, asked, "Reading between lines? Again, I do not have understanding of your meaning. Are there perhaps small words in books that I have missed?"

Constance then let out a loud, disdainful groan as she said, "I wouldn't expect a Brigid savage to understand such colloquialism."

This made everyone stop dead silent at this.

"What did you just call her?!" Dorothea said accusingly to Constance.

"You did not mistake my words. That girl, like the rest of her kind, is little better than a wild savage."

"Hey! Don't say that about Petra!" said Annette.

"Petra's not a savage!" added Ashe.

"Take that back!" Caspar added angrily.

"Constance, I insist that you apologize to Petra at once!" said Dimitri.

"I will not!" declared Constance. "I will not sugarcoat my distaste for her and her people! Not after what they did to House Nuvelle."

Ferdinand then said, "Constance, that is hardly a valid reason to–"

"Be silent, Ferdinand!" Constance snapped. "I will say my piece without interruption!" Then, glaring at Petra, she added, "Her kind, the savages of Brigid, slaughtered our servants, murdered my family, and burned our lands and holdings! They took EVERYTHING from me, and if you believe for a moment that I will forgive or forget, then you are all fools!"

Now cross with the blonde, Edelgard said, "Constance von Nuvelle, that is enou–"

Edelgard stopped as Dorothea swept in front of the blonde sorceress and, to everyone's surprise, slapped the girl hard across the cheek.

Everyone was silent for a good three seconds.

"You… You struck me…!" Constance gasped in disbelief. "How dare you, you–"

Dorothea immediately slapped Constance a second time, across her other cheek.

"How dare I?" Dorothea hissed as Constance stood in shock at being hit again. "How dare YOU call Petra a savage, you stuck up little harpy!"

"H-H-HARPY?!" Constance said in indignation. "You have the nerve to call me a harpy?!"

"Yes, because you don't want to look past anything but where Petra comes from! Sure, you lost your family and your home in the Dagda-Brigid War, but you aren't the only one who lost something!"

"Dorothea…" said Petra.

"Dorothea is correct, Constance," said Edelgard. "Petra lost her father in the same conflict that claimed House Nuvelle, and her people were forced into vassalage to the Empire."

"Edelgard has correctness… umm, is correct. My father was lost to the same war as your home, killed in battle against Caspar's father."

Caspar broke out into a nervous sweat at this as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I have understanding of your pain, Constance," Petra added.

"No, you do not!" Constance snapped. "You were not present during the battle that claimed your father's life, were you?" When Petra did not answer, Constance added, "I was there. I was there when your people stormed our keep, hidden within a closet. But I could hear them. I heard them cry out as your people butchered them! My servants… my brother… Mother and Father…"

"Coco…" said Hapi.

It was then that Byleth said sternly, "You're acting as though you are the only victim, Constance. But Petra is just as much a victim of that war as you are. You have no right to hate her for something she had no control or involvement in."

"Professor…" said Dorothea.

"I want you to apologize to Petra, or we won't be helping you find the Chalice. Is that clear?"

Aghast, Constance said, "Y-You expect me to forgive this… this…!"

Byleth glared at the blonde, forcing her into silence.

Then, after a moment, Constance grit her teeth and then said, "I… will apologize for my slight against you, Princess of Brigid." Her pride then got the better of her as she said, "But do not expect me to trust you, not for an instant!"

"Coco!" Hapi hissed, but Byleth gestured for the dark-skinned girl to be silent.

"That will do for now, Constance von Nuvelle," said Byleth, though it was clear she was still displeased. "But I expect you to cooperate with her if we run into trouble. I won't tolerate it if you let your prejudice bring her to harm."

With another groan of distaste, Constance said, "As you wish, Professor Eisner. I will… work with her if it means finding the Chalice. With it, I will be able to convince the Church to restore House Nuvelle."

"Should've guessed that was your motive in all this," Dorothea said wryly.

"And as for you, you irksome chanteuse," Constance snapped as she glared at Dorothea, "I will have recompense for you daring to lay a hand on me!"

"What are you gonna do, talk me to death? That might actually work given I can barely stand the sound of your voice, you obnoxious little bi–"

"Constance, Dorothea, stop it!" Mercedes said loudly, putting herself between the two women before a fight could break out. "You two are acting like children!"

Dorothea and Constance glared at one another, but the verbal jabs ceased, much to everyone's relief.

"Okay, people, let's just settle down now," said Yuri. "Everyone, go and get your things. We'll be heading down in an hour to find this Chasm of the Bound and maybe see if we can't find the Chalice."

Deciding it would be for the best, the students and Ashen Wolves dispersed and went to prepare themselves for the journey.

…

As Dorothea sat before a broken mirror to adjust her hair, she frowned as Ferdinand walked up to her with a displeased expression and said, "Dorothea, what you did to Constance was uncalled for."

"Ferdie," Dorothea said, "you're going to defend that blonde lunatic?"

"Constance may have been acting rudely to Petra, but that did not give you the right to strike her."

"Oh? I didn't see you doing much to stop her. One little glance from her and you, the so-called 'noblest of nobles', allow her to tear into Petra like that. Well, unlike you, I was willing to stand up for her."

"You believe that I approved of Constance's conduct? That could not be further from the truth!"

"You enabled her by not stopping her, you useless bee."

"Again, you call me that, Dorothea."

"And you still haven't figured it out yet." Standing up from her seat, Dorothea moved to leave the room as she said, "And at this rate, I doubt you ever will."

Ferdinand stood rubbing his forehead as Dorothea strode out of the room, hoping to avoid him as much as possible.

As she went toward the market in Abyss, hoping to take her mind off the previous arguments, she saw Byleth having a word with Anna.

The singer approached as Anna said, "Who knows if you might need someone with some knowhow on Magitek, right By?"

"I appreciate the help, Anna," said Byleth.

The redhead then realized Dorothea's presence and turned to say, "Hey Dorothea, I was just getting the okay from By to come with you all on your little treasure hunt."

"You're coming with us?" asked Dorothea.

"Sure. There might be more than just that Chalice down there." Anna made a greedy smile as she said this.

"I should've guessed…"

Byleth then said, "Dorothea, can we have a word?"

The bluette pulled the singer off to the side as she said, "I don't want to see you and Constance arguing when we head out, understand?"

"That's up to her. She just… UGH, I can't stand nobles like her, former or otherwise! She's so selfish and stuck-up and–"

"I understand that you dislike nobles who obsess over their status, but keep in mind what Constance has been through."

Sighing, Dorothea said, "Fine, fine, I'll try not to antagonize her any further."

"Thank you, Dorothea. Now come on, we should get going."

…

Over the next several hours, the first-year students and the Ashen Wolves made their way down through the catacombs. Due to the cramped corridors, they were unable to bring any mounts, so students like Ferdinand and Ingrid had to travel on foot. Several stops had to be made to try and figure out which way to go, with Byleth using her sword to mark the walls so they could find their way back. The air grew stale as they went further down, with only spiders and vermin to be found as they went. On more than one instance, the students thought they could hear voices, leading to some like Lysithea, Ashe and Annette being scared out of their wits at the possibility of the tunnels being haunted by ghosts. And at one point, Edelgard ended up letting out a loud scream of terror when a small group of rats crossed their path, much to the amusement of Claude.

Then, just when they were considering turning back, the students saw light coming out of an exit tunnel. Cautiously they made their way forward and soon found themselves looking outside. It was apparently still bright out. Byleth looked down at her pocket watch to see it was still early in the afternoon.

Dimitri looked up and said, "Say… Are we beneath the bridge at the monastery? Incredible…"

Dorothea, Byleth and the others looked up and realized that they were, indeed, below the bridge connecting the academy to the cathedral. Because of a thick fog layer, they had never been able to see down to the bottom when they had been up at the cathedral.

Claude then said, "Huh. I never thought I'd be gazing up at that bridge we've crossed a thousand times from way, way down below."

Several other students agreed with this sentiment.

Yuri then said, "Are we sure this is the right place?"

"It is. I think. I believe. I… hope?" Constance replied.

Everyone turned to see Constance was still inside the tunnel they had come from, trying to stay out of the light. It was unusual, to say the least.

Edelgard then asked, "Constance, why are you hiding in the shade? Aren't you the one who insisted that we find the chalice?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Dorothea asked dryly. "Afraid of a little sunlight?"

Constance wanted to spit at Dorothea, but growled and said, "Fine! If you insist that I join you, then I shall. Satisfied?!"

Constance hesitated for a moment, and then walked out into the sunlight. And as she did, she began to hang her head low and her expression changed to one of melancholy. Her skin even seemed to turn pale with a dark shadow over her face.

Then, in a tone that was far more subdued than usual, Constance said, "Oh my. I was quite rude just now… Please accept my humble apologies for treating you so foully. I presumed too much to stand beside such noble paragons. Allow me to dig a hole to bury myself in…"

"Uhh, what?" Dorothea said in utter confusion.

"Constance? Are you alright?" asked Mercedes.

"Ugh… No matter how deep underground we are, I guess sunlight is still sunlight," said Balthus.

"What's going on with her?" asked Anna. "She's not her usual self…"

"This is what Coco's like in the sun," said Hapi. "That's why she lives underground."

Constance then said, "I fear I cannot guarantee that this is the Chasm of the Bound. I have almost surely wasted our time."

"Enough with the self-doubt, yeah?" said Balthus. "Just put one foot in front of the other. We'll have you back in the shadows before you know it."

"Cheer up, Coco. We need you," said Hapi.

Her expression turning even more pessimistic, Constance said, "And now I have forced you into a state of pity. I feel so very worthless."

Everyone was silent at this bizarre scene for a moment.

And then, despite receiving several glares for doing so, Dorothea burst out laughing.

"Oh my, I-I can't believe this!" Dorothea said amid her laughs. "This is just too rich! Little Miss Superiority Complex becomes a shrinking violet if you just shine a little sun on her!"

"Dorothea, this is hardly a laughing matter," said Edelgard.

"I-I-I know, I s-shouldn't laugh at this, but– AHAHAHA!"

As Dorothea continued to laugh, Byleth contemplated scolding her for it when Mercedes strode over and sharply pinched Dorothea's cheek.

"Ow! OWOWOWOWOWOW! M-Mercedes!" Dorothea yelped.

"Stop laughing at her, Dorothea!" said Mercedes. "It's not funny!"

Mercedes then released her grip on Dorothea's cheek and turned back to Constance, leaving the singer to nurse her face.

"This must have to do with what happened to House Nuvelle," said Ferdinand.

"As ever, your intuition is far greater than mine could ever hope to be, Ferdinand," said Constance. "The sun… it oppresses me now so much as it did that day when I emerged from hiding and found the remains of my family and home. I cannot bear it…"

Hearing this, Dorothea immediately changed her tune as she said with guilt, "Oh… Oh, wow, now I feel terrible… S-Sorry, everyone…"

"Are you going to be alright, Constance?" asked Mercedes.

"Dear Mercedes, you need not spare any pity for me," said Constance. "I – Huh?"

Dorothea felt the same thing that Constance did as a surge of magic came from the chasm they had entered. Evidently, the other mages in their group felt it as well. Then, a loud mechanical sound caught everyone's attention, and they turned to see something coming out of the thick fog of the chasm.

"What is that?" Bernadetta squeaked nervously as she darted behind a rock.

"Something likely placed to guard the chalice," said Edelgard as she brandished her axe.

* * *

_Sorry, but we're cutting it off here. I've hit my word limit per chapter (around 3,000 words)._

_I honestly wish there could've been a few support chains where someone gets slapped to the face. It would've worked great during the Felix/Ingrid B-Support, or maybe the Constance/Ferdinand C-Support._

_And I'm sure I goofed up with Constance hating Petra, but hey, it'd be reasonable to think that Constance would have a beef with the people of Brigid. The two honestly should've had a C-B Support in-game._


	59. Guardians of the Chalice

_Writing a battle against the Golems was trickier than I thought it'd be._

* * *

**Chapter 59 – Guardians of the Chalice (Red Wolf Moon)**

The giant automaton that approached the students was unlike anything they had ever seen before. In some ways, it looked a bit like a giant Fortress Knight, but with much longer arms. Its head had a vaguely humanoid face, but it was clear that the metal beast was anything but human. The Crest of Seiros was emblazoned on its chest plate.

The Golem looked at the students and, in a mechanical voice, said, "_INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT. IDENTIFY. IDENTIFY._"

"Whoa, what the hell is that thing?" said Leonie.

"Looks like some kind of gigantic toy," said Claude.

The Golem then said, "_PRESENT IDENTIFICATION IMMEDIATELY._"

"Identa-what?" Raphael said in confusion.

"I… don't have the slightest idea what's going on," said Yuri, "but I know this doesn't bode well for us."

"Sounds to me like it wants us to show it something," said Anna. "But, given this thing was probably made thousands of years ago…"

"We probably don't have what it wants, right?" asked Dorothea, to which Anna nodded.

After a second, the Golem said, "_IDENTIFICATION NOT VERIFIED. SUBJECTS ARE UNKNOWN. INITIATING COMBAT PROTOCOL._"

"That doesn't sound good," said Hapi.

As if on cue, the Golem raised one of its spindly arms and a lance made of pure light energy began to form in its hand.

"_FINAL WARNING,_" said the Golem. "_WITHDRAW OR BE TERMINATED._"

"So, this thing wants a fight, does it?" said Balthus as he readied his gauntlets. "Could be fun. It's been a while since I've met an enemy that could put up a good fight! Hey, you! Meet your master, pal! I'm gonna pummel you into my own personal shield!"

"_SUBJECTS ARE HOSTILE. COMMENCING TERMINATION._"

As Balthus was about to rush forward, the Golem swung its lance and threw it at the students. Dorothea was the first to react, throwing her arms forward as she channeled a ward. Her hairclip shimmered as its enchantment was added to her ward, strengthening it as the energy lance struck it. But even with the enchantment, Dorothea's ward shattered like glass as she let out a yelp. Fortunately, the energy lance dissipated upon breaking the ward.

"C-Careful, this thing packs a wallop!" said Dorothea.

"Yeah? Well let's see how it likes this!" said Hapi as she readied a Miasma Δ spell and fired it at the Golem.

The spell struck the Golem's plating and, to Hapi's shock, barely left a scorch mark.

"What the?!"

"Wow, that's some serious magical protection," said Ingrid as she readied Luin.

"Hey, Anna, any ideas?" said Yuri. "You're the Magitek expert here."

"Hey, I didn't say I was an expert!" Anna replied. Then, pondering to herself, she said "But if this thing's like a Guardian…"

The Golem readied another energy lance and threw it, forcing the students to spread out. The attack exploded upon hitting the ground as the students went into cover behind some rocks.

"Teach, what's the plan?" Claude said to Byleth.

As Byleth began formulating her plan in her head, Ashe and Ignatz stood up and fired arrows at the Golem, but the projectiles bounced harmlessly off its armor.

"Okay, that's not going to work," Ashe said as he ducked back into cover.

"Great, so magic and arrows are almost useless," said Felix.

"Only on the outside," Anna interrupted. "I think if we can get through its plating, we should be able to damage it from the inside."

"Sounds easier said than done," said Sylvain.

Byleth then finished her battle plan as she shouted, "Okay, axes, swords and lances up front. Try to concentrate your attacks on a single point in its armor. Archers will try to distract it. Mages will block its attacks. Once we get through its plating, Lysithea and Constance will finish it off."

"Alright, let's do this!" shouted Balthus as he rushed out of cover.

The students surged out of the rocks, with Bernadetta, Ignatz, Ashe and Leonie all aiming their bows at the Golem's head. Their shots broke harmlessly on the Golem's face, but this ended up getting its attention.

"_TERMINATING HOSTILES._"

The Golem threw another energy lance at the archers. This lance was met by a combined ward spell from the mage students, with Dorothea being the focal point of their spell. The lance hit the ward, but it failed to breach it this time. As the Golem returned to its ready stance from its attack, Edelgard, Hilda and Caspar all let out shouts as they swung their axes at the Golem, each of them striking the same spot one after another. Edelgard's hit managed to cut into the Golem's plating, leaving a deep gash and allowing one a small view of its insides.

"Balthus, Raphael, rip open that hole in its armor!" shouted Byleth.

"Heh, no problem!" Balthus replied confidently as he and Raphael rushed forward.

The two muscular grapplers wrapped their fingers into the gash in the Golem's armor and, with loud grunts, they literally pulled the metal open. The students could now see the Golem's internal mechanisms whirring and spinning within.

"_ARMOR COMPROMISED,_" the Golem said.

"Constance, Lysithea, NOW!" Byleth shouted to the two mages.

"Got it!" Lysithea said as she readied a Seraphim spell.

"I have little hope that this will be successful," Constance said depressingly as she readied her own Sagittae spell.

Both mages unleashed their spells, each flying into the Golem's insides and exploding inside. The Golem began to jerk and spasm wildly as its internal mechanisms were wrecked.

"_D-D-DAMAGE C-C-CRITICAL. S-S-S-SYSTEM F-F-FAILURE…_"

The Golem's movements slowed rapidly as Balthus ran up toward it and jumped, delivering a hard punch to the Golem's head. This sent the Golem toppling backward, hitting the ground with a loud crash. The automaton stopped moving as its whirring shut down.

Shaking his arms, Balthus said, "Hehe, well, that was easy."

But then, as though on cue, the students heard more whirring sounds coming from further into the fog. They then saw the silhouettes of at least seven more Golems as they came online.

Annoyed, Hapi said, "Nice job jinxing it, B."

"H-Hey, don't blame me!"

"There's too many of them! We should run!" said Bernadetta.

"Y-Yeah, I think we're a bit outmatched here," said Annette. "Maybe this isn't even the Chasm of the Bound."

"Oh no, this is definitely the place," said Anna. "You don't have this much security unless there's something really valuable to find here."

"A valid point," said Dedue.

"What is your plan, Professor Eisner?" asked Dimitri.

"Maybe we should take them one at a time," said Ignatz.

"I don't think they're going to give us that luxury," replied Lysithea.

Byleth knew Lysithea was right. The Golems were each moving to engage them, and it would take too long to bring them down one by one. She would have just had the mages blast them all at once with a combined spell, but the Golems' magic-resistant armor would likely survive such an attack. Fortunately, the Golems were advancing quite slowly, so she had time to think.

Then, as the students continued to debate what to do, Dorothea managed to peer through the fog to see one of the Golems was different from the others. It had gold-colored armor rather than silver, with a head that looked like a fancy helmet. Curiously, hanging from the Golem's neck was a chain with a strange stone attached to it.

"Professor? Look at that one," Dorothea said to Byleth. "What's that around its neck?"

Byleth saw the unique Golem and realized it wasn't moving toward the students like the others. Instead, it positioned itself before five statues. The fog was clearing, so now the students could see the unique Golem and the statues as well.

"If I may presume to offer my opinion," said Constance, "the statues may also warrant scrutiny."

"Uh, sure," said Dorothea, still not used to Constance's submissive side.

Dorothea and Byleth looked at the statues. Each statue had a combination of four Crests upon it, with most of the Crests being easily recognized as those of the Ten Heroes. One of the statues, however, had four Crests that the students did not know of.

"That thing around its neck must be a key for something," said Linhardt. "Perhaps for a mechanism within the statues?"

"It's worth investigating," said Edelgard. "But first, we must deal with the other guardians."

"Well then, Professor Eisner?" asked Hubert. "Surely you have a plan by now."

"Dimitri, cover our left flank and try to stall some of them. Take Dedue, Marianne, Leonie, Ferdinand, Ashe, Lorenz and Hapi with you. The rest of us will try and bring some of them down on this side. Just distract them for now; don't try to bring them down."

"Understood, Professor," said Dimitri as he led the others to the left flank.

"Everybody else, follow me!"

With Byleth's command, the battle against the Golems began in earnest. The first Golem to approach the main group readied an energy lance as Ingrid rushed forward and stabbed at it with Luin, the Hero's Relic easily carving through the Golem's armor. The Golem swung its lance at Ingrid, who leapt away a second too late and got hit by a small shockwave from the energy lance's impact. She flew back right into Sylvain's arms.

"Easy, I got you, Ingrid!" said Sylvain.

"Th-Thanks, I– Hey! Watch where you're grabbing me!"

Sylvain immediately realized his error as, in his haste to catch Ingrid, he had accidentally gotten a handful of her posterior.

"Sorry! Total accident!"

"I wish I could believe that!"

"Will you two focus on the battle?!" Felix snapped as he readied his blade, slashing at the spot Ingrid had struck. His blow, enhanced by the Crest of Fraldarius, widened the breach in the Golem's armor.

Felix then jumped back to avoid the Golem's counterattack as it spun its arms around it, trying to swat him and Caspar away. Caspar weaved through the attack and smashed his axe through the armor of the Golem, bending it inwards to leave a large hole. Hubert took advantage of the opening and sent a Miasma Δ inside, while Mercedes also hit the same spot with a fireball. The spells devastated the insides of the Golem, but it still readied another energy lance in its right hand. Its attack never finished before Felix leapt up and, with a loud shout and another shimmer of the Major Crest of Fraldarius, slashed the arm in two. The Golem's internals finally failed it as it slumped forward and shut down.

At the same time, Raphael and Balthus both tried using their gauntlet weapons to pound open another Golem's armor, but Raphael's blow proved ineffective, his gauntlet weapon far less potent than Balthus'. The Golem he was attacking would have swatted him had an arrow from Ignatz not hit it in the head, drawing the Golem's attention. Several blasts of Wind also struck the Golem, but its magic-resistant armor caused the spells to barely scratch it.

"Aww, this sucks!" Annette whined.

However, this distraction gave Anna the chance to rush up behind the Golem and jump up onto its shoulder. Before the Golem could react, Anna thrust her Levin Sword into an opening in the Golem's armor, jamming the blade inside and unleashing a torrent of electricity into it. The Golem spasmed wildly as it went haywire.

Realizing what was about to happen, Anna ripped out her sword and jumped away seconds before the Golem exploded, sending shards of metal flying all over the place. The students were quick to take cover from the blast, though Edelgard wasn't quick enough and ended with several metal fragments embedded in her armor and shield.

"Lady Edelgard!" Hubert shouted with concern.

"I'm alright!" Edelgard replied. "It didn't get through my armor."

"Watch out, here comes another one!" shouted Yuri.

Byleth rushed forward to meet this one, dodging a swing from the Golem's left arm before slashing at its metal limb. The Sword of the Creator cleaved through it as if it were paper.

"Their arms are weaker than the rest of them!" Byleth shouted to the students. "Aim for their limbs!"

"Got it, Teach!" shouted Claude as he and Ignatz readied another arrow, both taking careful aim at the Golem's right arm joint.

Seeing this, Byleth maneuvered toward the Golem's right side. As she predicted, the Golem raised its arm to ready another energy lance. Claude and Ignatz fired, both arrows hitting the Golem's exposed arm and piercing through it. The arm quickly malfunctioned and started flailing around uncontrollably and, a second later, the Golem's own lance pierced into its side.

"Ooh, nice!" Balthus said in praise.

The Golem sputtered and whirred for a moment, but the damage it had dealt itself was too severe, and it quickly powered down.

Just then, Byleth heard a cry from Leonie, and whirled around to see the Sauin girl had just been swatted into a rock by one of the Golems. Leonie fell to her knees as her right arm bent at an odd angle; she had likely dislocated it. Now the Golem was raising its left arm and another energy lance to strike her down.

Byleth was about to consider using the Divine Pulse when she saw a blur of violet hair dart up the Golem's side and realized Petra had gone to assist. Petra let out a shout as she slashed through the Golem's left arm, cleaving it in two with her blade.

But as Petra landed on the ground, the Golem moved with incredible speed and grabbed the Brigid princess in its remaining hand.

"PETRA!" Dorothea screamed as Petra was lifted from the ground, losing her blade in the process.

Petra tried to squirm free of the Golem's grip, but she couldn't get loose. Meanwhile, Dimitri and the others in the flank force were preoccupied trying to fend off another Golem. The Golem then began to clench its hand, and Petra screamed out in pain as the Golem threatened to crush her in its grip.

At that moment, the Golem's arm was suddenly struck by a massive bolt of lightning from above, one that shattered the Golem's limb and sent Petra to the ground. Unfortunately, she ended up taking part of the shock and, as she landed, her body convulsed for a moment from the shock. As Petra shook on the ground, the Golem was then hit in the neck by a javelin thrown by Dimitri. The small lance pierced through the Golem's plating, which was clearly thinner at the neck, and caused it to spasm before it toppled over and crashed to the ground.

Dorothea immediately knew what spell had been used to save Petra: Bolting, one of the most powerful lightning spells known in Fódlan. Dorothea lacked the skill to use it herself, and none of the other first-year girls could cast it. That left only one person.

The singer turned toward Constance, who had just finished the spell.

"Constance…"

Dorothea was stunned that Constance, of all people, had been the one to save Petra. She thought that, even in her depressed state, the blonde would never have stuck her neck out for the Brigid princess.

Just then, Dorothea heard Marianne say, "Petra, are you alright?"

Dorothea turned back to Petra as the Brigid girl said in pain, "I-I am hurting, but I am alive."

"You have my deepest apologies, Princess of Brigid," Constance said sadly. "No doubt my intervention caused you more harm than good."

"Don't be like that, Constance," said Mercedes. "You saved her life!"

"I do not deserve such praise, dear Mercedes. Surely, she is furious at my clumsiness, as well as at my horrible words from before. There is no chance at all that she would ever forgive me."

"Constance, I have gratitude for your help," said Petra.

Seeing this exchange, Dorothea was once again left flabbergasted by Constance's pessimistic state.

The exchange was broken up as Ferdinand and Lorenz both brought down the last of the lesser Golems.

"Magnificent!" said Lorenz.

"Splendorous!" added Ferdinand.

As the two nobles boasted over their victory, Dorothea let out a groan of exasperation.

"Only one left, Professor!" shouted Yuri.

Byleth and Dorothea turned to see the final Golem, Marcelle, as it readied itself for battle.

Immediately Byleth began giving orders again. "Mercedes, Marianne, Linhardt, tend to the wounded. Everyone else, form up! Let's finish this!"

* * *

_Chapter length again. We'll finish this fight up in the next chapter._

_To be honest, I didn't quite like the designs for the Golems in 3H. I guess I'm a sucker for the ones in Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Of course, none of them hold a candle to the Crystal Dragon from said game. :)_

_The Golems were given a kind of hi-tech dialogue because, let's face it, they're ancient Magitek like the Guardians from Breath of the Wild (I loved those pot-like laser mechs). And yes, I know regular Golems are weak to magic, but really, most fantasy media have Golems being magic-resistant. I felt that was more appropriate._

_And let me tell you something else: writing sunlight Constance is TRICKY. I much prefer shady lady._


	60. Overload

_This is going to differ a bit from the normal gameplay mechanics, but I feel it's a more fun outcome._

* * *

**Chapter 60 – Overload (Red Wolf Moon)**

With the other Golems dispatched, the students rallied together to bring down the last one defending the Chasm of the Bound. Mercedes, Marianne and Linhardt stayed behind to tend to Petra, Leonie and Dedue, all who had been injured during the fighting.

This Golem, codenamed Marcelle, was far different in design than the others, with a head shaped like a golden helmet, a chest plate that looked like an animal's face, and two spiky pauldrons on its shoulders. Its arms were also reinforced with additional plating. Around its neck was a chain holding a strange keystone. Two large glowing coils were extending out of the Golem's shoulders which crackled with magical energy.

In a more feminine tone compared to the other Golems, Marcelle said, "_HOSTILES APPROACHING. INITIATING COMBAT PROTOCOL._"

Marcelle readied an energy lance and threw it toward Dimitri and his group. The students all ran for cover, but Lorenz wasn't quick enough and yelped as the lance's blast knocked him hard into a rock, cracking a couple of his ribs. Ashe was quick to rush forward and grab Lorenz by the collar, pulling him back to a covered position.

"Hang on, you'll be alright!" Ashe said to Lorenz, who could only groan in pain. Upon getting him to cover, Ashe shouted, "Healer!"

Dorothea was the one to rush over to help, prompting Lorenz to say, "P-Pristine as always, Dorothea."

"This isn't the time for flattery, Lorenz," Dorothea said wryly as she readied a healing spell.

But as she began casting it, she suddenly felt the Mana from the spell being drawn away from her. The spell failed, leaving Lorenz with his injuries.

"H-Huh? What the…?"

Dorothea looked to see where her Mana was being drawn and watched as Marcelle absorbed the energy into its body.

"Oh, not good," the singer said worriedly.

A second later, Lysithea launched a Dark Spikes _T_ spell at Marcelle, but the spell shattered before it struck, and its Mana was drawn into the Golem's body. As it did, the coils on its shoulders began to glow brighter.

"What in the world?" Lysithea gasped.

Upon absorbing Lysithea's attack, Marcelle raised both arms as it said, "_CAPACITORS CHARGED. COMMENCING BARRAGE._"

Several energy lances began to form over the Golem's arms and head, each one aimed to pelt the students.

"TAKE COVER!" shouted Dimitri.

Marcelle unleashed its attack, sending a barrage of its lances raining down and devastating the area as the students rushed for cover. The blasts kicked up an enormous cloud of dust while shattering rocks and setting plants ablaze.

The dust soon cleared, allowing Dorothea to see the devastation. Her heart sank as she saw Hilda, Ingrid, Ignatz and Hubert had all been hit, each one injured but alive. Ingrid looked in particularly bad shape, her left side bleeding badly as she lay unconscious on the ground.

Dorothea's first instinct was to rush toward them and start healing, but Byleth shouted, "Get the wounded back!"

"Ingrid! Ingrid, stay with me!" shouted Sylvain as he ran out and grabbed the blonde and began dragging her to safety. Raphael similarly hoisted Ignatz onto his shoulder and began carrying him back to safety as Sylvain turned to Byleth and said, "Professor, Ingrid's in bad shape! She needs healing, now!"

"Get to a safe distance first! Don't heal her here or that thing will attack again!"

"Hilda, are you alright?" Balthus said to the pinkette.

"Ow… Baltie, this really hurts…" said Hilda as she nursed her right arm, which had a bad cut on it.

Balthus immediately stripped off his overcoat and used it to wrap up Hilda's arm as he said, "Here, put some pressure on that wound."

"Th-Thanks, Baltie… Guess that's it for me. I'll just go rest up or… something."

Hilda then limped back toward Mercedes and Marianne alongside Hubert, who scowled as he was forced to limp away from the fight, his leg with a piece of rock stuck in it.

Dorothea felt powerless as she watched the others. She had the power to heal their wounds but doing so now would only make things worse. She turned to look at Byleth, who thankfully only had a few scrapes. The teacher looked as though her mind were racing.

Indeed, Byleth was internally scrambling to come up with a new plan. Being unable to use magic of any kind near the Golem was a huge disadvantage. She had thought to use the Divine Pulse to stop the students from attacking, but by the time she had thought to do so, she knew she was past the time limit. She could not rewind far enough to stop Lysithea and Dorothea from unintentionally charging up the Golem.

"Truly this is quite the conundrum, isn't it?" Sothis said to her.

Just then, Marcelle bellowed, "_HOSTILES REMAIN. CONTINUING COMBAT._"

Another energy lance flew at the students, who were unable to try to block it. Thankfully, the shot went wide and slammed into one of the chasm's walls, causing no harm to the students.

"Jeez, this thing's a real piece of work!" snapped Anna. Byleth saw the merchant had wisely decided to sheathe her Levin Sword, which could've had its power absorbed by the Golem if drawn.

It was then that Byleth said, "Anna, if you've got any ideas, I'm open to them."

"Wha– By, you don't have a plan?"

"I'm saying I need your help to think of one!"

Anna paused for a moment and said, "Heh, first time for everything, I guess. Give me a sec, lemme think…"

The redhead thought hard about what to do as an arrow from Bernadetta struck Marcelle harmlessly. It didn't even acknowledge the terrified purple-haired girl, who squeaked as she ducked back into cover upon seeing her attack doing no damage. Balthus rushed forward with his gauntlets and tried to punch Marcelle, but the Golem swung one of its arms and swatted him, sending him rolling back several meters. The self-proclaimed King of Grappling spat out some blood as he righted himself, but he opted to take cover upon Yuri ordering him to rethink his plan.

Byleth and Anna both were left at a loss for what to do.

Marcelle readied another energy lance and swung it toward Edelgard, knocking the princess back. Edelgard fell to one knee as her muscles screamed in pain, but she managed to pull herself together and dash to the side as another energy lance flew at her, blowing up some distance behind the princess.

It was then that Byleth noticed something. When Marcelle had thrown its lance, the coils on its back dimmed noticeably. A second later, Marcelle began rumbling briefly as it began absorbing Mana from the ambient air around them. The coils began to brighten again.

Byleth was suddenly struck by an idea.

"Anna, look at the coils on its back," said Byleth.

Anna, noticing the same thing Byleth had, said, "Hey, yeah, those things must be where it stores its energy."

"Maybe if we damage them, this thing will give us a break," said Claude.

The young heir of Riegan then readied an arrow and shot it at one of the coils. The arrow hit it squarely but, to Claude's dismay, dealt no damage.

"Okay, that's not gonna work. Those things are tougher than they look."

"And I doubt this thing will let us get close enough to smash them," said Felix.

"Oh, what are we gonna do?!" Annette said in dismay. "I hate not being able to burst this thing's bubble with my spells!"

It was at Annette's words that Anna was struck by inspiration.

"Hey, I got it!" said the redhead. "By, you're gonna think this is crazy, but we should hit it with every spell we've got all at once."

"W-What?! But it'll just absorb them!" said Dorothea.

"That's the idea. I'm thinking maybe we could give this thing more Mana than it can handle and try to overload it! Just like putting too much weight in a wagon."

"Or too much spice in a meal!" said Annette, getting the idea.

"That's an awfully big risk," said Edelgard. "Are you sure about this?"

"Theoretically, such a thing could be done, but I cannot assume with any confidence that such a plan would yield fruit, Your Highness," Constance said gloomily.

"Oh, come on, Coco, it's a good idea," said Hapi. "Unless you all want me to sigh."

"No sighing, Hapi," Yuri said to the redhead. "We don't need more trouble than we have already."

Byleth then said, "We'll give it a try. I trust Anna's judgment."

"That thing will just throw more lances at us," said Felix. "It'll spend all the Mana we end up pouring into it."

"Felix has a good point," said Dimitri.

"I know," said Byleth. "Anybody who's not casting spells at it, get in close and try to distract it. Don't let it throw any of its lances."

"Sounds daring," said Yuri. Then, with a confident smile, he said, "I'm in."

"Alright, let's go pound this thing into scrap metal!" shouted Balthus.

The students moved from their cover, with Edelgard, Dimitri, Yuri, Balthus, Caspar, Felix and Ferdinand all rushing forward to meet Marcelle in close quarters. Claude, Ashe and Bernadetta all fired arrows to try and support them, despite the arrows dealing no noticeable damage. Meanwhile, the remaining mages of the group gathered to prepare their spells.

"Hit it with the best spell you have!" shouted Byleth. "Give it everything you've got!"

Byleth prepared her own magic as Dorothea readied a Thoron spell. Lysithea readied her Dark Spikes _T_ while Annette prepared Excalibur. Constance, despite her pessimism, followed along with Agnea's Arrow while Hapi readied a Seraphim spell. Anna, meanwhile, prepared her own magic, readying a Nosferatu spell.

As the Golem swatted aside Dimitri, Marcelle then said, "_SORCERY DETECTED. INITIATING ABSORPTION PROTOCOL._"

"NOW!" shouted Byleth.

The mages all unleashed their spells, which flew toward Marcelle as the Golem assumed a defensive stance. The spells all struck and shattered, with the Golem absorbing their Mana rapidly. The coils on its back quickly began to brighten, almost blinding everyone with their light.

"_WARNING. CAPACITORS AT 96 PERCENT. MUST DISCHARGE._"

To the students' dismay, Marcelle began readying its barrage attack again.

"It's not enough!" Dorothea said in fear. "We need more!"

Byleth saw the mages were all tapped out, each one gasping in exhaustion at having used up their Mana. She was about to order everyone to flee when she saw Anna rush out at Marcelle.

"Anna, what are you–"

"Giving this thing a bit more juice!" the merchant replied as she drew her Levin Sword.

Anna moved with incredible speed as Edelgard swung her axe at Marcelle, the princess letting out a gasp of surprise when her weapon broke on the Golem's armor.

"Hey, metal head!" shouted Anna as she leapt up onto Marcelle's shoulder. "Here's a little extra, on the house!"

Anna plunged her Levin Sword into one of Marcelle's coils, discharging an enormous amount of electricity into the Golem. To everyone's concern, the redhead was shocked by her own attack, causing Anna to let out a series of painful grunts.

"ANNA!" shouted Dorothea.

Then, a heavy surge of energy struck Anna, making the redhead cry out as she was blasted clear of Marcelle's body, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Yuri swiftly ran to her and checked her for injuries, prompting Anna to let out a groan as she tried to push herself up. Her Levin Sword was still stuck in Marcelle's coils.

Marcelle began to spasm wildly as it said, "_ERROR. CAPACITOR OVERLOAD. OVERLOAD. OVERLOAD!_"

The Golem's body began to fill with cracks as surges of energy began to split the machine apart.

"It's gonna blow!" shouted Claude, prompting those closer to the Golem to run away from it.

A few seconds later, the Chasm of the Bound echoed with the sound of an explosion as Marcelle was blown to pieces, showering the area with bits of ancient metal.

The chasm was silent for almost a minute afterwards. Byleth and Dorothea slowly rose out of cover to see if everyone was alright. To their relief, no one had been injured by the blast beyond a few cuts or scrapes.

"W-Wow…" said Dorothea. "I can't believe that worked."

"I told you, I had faith," said Byleth.

Their moment was broken up as they heard Anna shout with dismay, "Ohh, DAMMIT! Not another one!"

They looked down to see Anna was holding the broken hilt of her Levin Sword. The wavy blade had been shattered in the explosion, and bits of its golden blade were scattered across the chasm mixed with Marcelle's shattered parts.

With a groan, Anna threw the useless hilt to the ground in a fit as she said, "I can't believe this! It's completely wrecked!"

Byleth and Dorothea both ran down to the redhead, with Dorothea asking, "Anna, are you okay?"

"Do I look okay to you?!" Anna snapped. "I just broke a really expensive weapon in case you hadn't noticed! It's gonna cost me a fortune to get a new one!"

Dorothea laughed nervously at this. Anna appeared unharmed, but she was clearly more broken up about this than any injuries she might have had.

"Hey, check this out," said Hapi, prompting the others to look at her.

The dark-skinned redhead had picked up the strange keystone that had been hanging from Marcelle's neck.

"Whaddaya think this is for?" Hapi asked.

* * *

_Poor Anna, those Levin Swords aren't cheap. T_T_

_This is basically going to take the place of that super-Golem you face in the next chapter of Cindered Shadows. That thing always felt out of place to me. Something like the Demon Wall from FF4 would've been neater. Now THAT was a memorable boss fight._

_I hope I'm doing alright with showing Byleth's improvements in tactics. I know I wasn't doing it all that well in some of the earlier chapters, but you know what they say: No plan survives enemy contact._


	61. Keystone

_I'm cutting it too close with these releases. I only wrote this one on Wednesday. Gotta stop getting distracted._

_Anyhow, this one's mostly filler, but it's necessary._

* * *

**Chapter 61 – Keystone (Red Wolf Moon)**

"I must say I am impressed," said Sothis as Byleth and the students finished patching themselves up from their battle with the Golems. "You managed to overcome these guardians without using my power once. But perhaps it is more appropriate to congratulate your friends, especially that merchant. She is an uncanny one."

Byleth looked at Anna as Sothis said this. The redhead merchant was still moping over her broken Levin Sword. Byleth made a small frown of exasperation at this, and then turned to look at the others. Despite how deadly the battle had been, no one had been too severely injured. Ingrid had taken the worst of it, but she was now conscious again and had been bandaged up by Mercedes. Leonie also had her arm in a sling for the moment, having popped it back into place before letting anyone heal her. Byleth had to admire the Sauin girl's grit.

"Everybody good?" asked Hapi. "Okay, good. Let's see about where this thingy goes."

Hapi raised up the keystone she held as she spoke.

"Probably goes into one of those statues," said Claude. "Only question is, which one?"

"We should take a close look at each of them," said Dedue.

"Agreed," said Hubert, who had just finished having his leg healed by Linhardt. "Surely there must be a clue so we can determine which one is correct."

The students made their way to the statues to inspect them. The five statues stood on a flat stone podium, and each had four different Crests etched into them, but otherwise looked identical.

"Uh, don't suppose there's anything written down here anywhere?" asked Dorothea.

"Nothing besides these Crest etchings," said Ashe as he took hold of the keystone. "A lot of them are familiar, though."

"Great, so which one do we pick?" Caspar asked in annoyance. He then growled and said, "I'm no good at puzzles like this."

"The Crests etched onto these statues must be the key," said Edelgard. "Perhaps some combination of them is the answer?"

"Yeah, that makes sense," said Ashe. "Look at this one." As he pointed at the middle statue, he added, "It's got the Crests of the Four Saints on it. That's got to be it!"

"Makes sense to me," said Annette.

"Who else but they could've set up something like this?" said Hilda.

Ashe then walked over to the middle statue and placed the keystone into it, and then he stepped back. For a moment, nothing happened.

But then, to the alarm of the students, several small holes began opening in the podium and began venting out a violet gas, which immediately began to choke the students.

Byleth didn't wait for the poison to reach her before time froze.

"Looks like I spoke too soon," said Sothis. "You had best come up with a good reason not to pick that one, my friend."

The gas swirled back into the small holes as the students choked in reverse. The holes sealed up while Ashe stepped back toward the statue and took out the keystone. He moved backwards to where he had been before his ill-fated choice.

Time resumed just as Hilda had finished speaking about the Four Saints.

Ashe took a step toward the statue, but stopped as Byleth then said, "Wait a second, Ashe."

"Professor?"

Everyone turned to Byleth at this time.

"That one has to be a trap."

"How can you be sure?" asked Dorothea.

"It's far too obvious."

"What kind of answer is that?" said Leonie.

Byleth hesitated to answer Leonie. She had to be sure not to give any hint of her power to them, and she had to ensure the students didn't pick a wrong one. She needed time before she could use the Divine Pulse again.

"If you think about it, the Professor may be right," said Linhardt. "I don't believe this was made by the Four Saints, after all."

Byleth did not show her relief at Linhardt saving her an explanation.

"Well, how about this one?" asked Marianne as she pointed at the fourth statue. "It has the Crest of Seiros on it, and so did those guardians."

"I dunno, I'm getting the same sort of 'too obvious' vibe from it," said Anna.

Edelgard, Dorothea, Claude, and a few of the others nodded in agreement to this. They then spent the next half-minute pondering which of the statues could be the correct one.

Dorothea looked at the second statue. The Crests that were etched upon it were completely unfamiliar to her. They weren't of the Saints or Ten Heroes.

She then remembered what Aelfric had told them about the legend.

"Hey, what about this one?" Dorothea asked as she pointed at the second statue.

"I don't recognize any of those Crests," said Lysithea.

"Yeah, why that one, Dorothea?" asked Ingrid.

"Remember what Aelfric told us? He said something about the Chalice of Beginnings being used in some ritual by Saint Seiros and four… what was the word again?"

"Apostles?" asked Linhardt.

"Yes, that was it! Well, what if these four Crests belonged to them?"

"How are you so certain that these Four Apostles even had Crests?" asked Lorenz.

"I'm… not. But the other statues all have recognizable Crests on them, while this one doesn't. And Aelfric said these Four Apostles were the ones who sealed this place."

"She's got a good point," said Yuri.

"Well, Professor?" asked Edelgard. "What do you think?"

Byleth was hesitant to approve of Dorothea's choice. It made sense, but she didn't want to take an unnecessary risk while the Divine Pulse was still unavailable to her.

To her own surprise, Byleth said, "I think she's right."

"Well, then, let's give it a try!" Dorothea said as she snatched the keystone from Ashe.

"W-Wait a second, Dorothea!" Ashe stammered.

Edelgard then said, "Dorothea, maybe we should give this some more–"

But it was too late. Dorothea had already placed the keystone into the slot in the statue.

The singer stepped back from the statue as Byleth hoped she hadn't made a fatal mistake, feeling she should have stopped Dorothea to give herself more time.

The ground began to shake as the podium began to shift, forcing the students to step off it. A complex shifting of the podium's surface began to unveil an opening from which a small altar began to rise, atop which was an ornate dome made from an unknown metal. Emblazoned on all four sides of the dome were the same Crests that had been etched on the second statue.

"Hey, it worked!" said Raphael.

"Good call, Dorothea," Hilda said in praise.

"I'm just glad we didn't set off some trap," said Bernadetta.

"As am I," said Edelgard. "Well, what do you make of this, Linhardt?"

"This looks like some kind of container," said the sleepy student. "Those same Crest designs are on it, though I have no idea how we would open it."

"Maybe it requires the power of the Crests of the Four Apostles?" said Ferdinand.

"Great, so four Crests that no one's seen in who knows how long," said Claude. "And I doubt trying to smash this thing open will work."

"We'll see about that," said Balthus as he stepped forward and readied one of his glowing gauntlets.

"B, hold on," said Hapi. "What if trying to break it sets off a trap?"

"Then the rest of you can just stand back for now. If I set something off, it'll only get me."

"Not gonna happen, Balthus," said Yuri, who strode up to the brawler.

Balthus took a step toward the dome, but this prompted Yuri and Hapi to rush up and grab him, attempting to pull him away. However, Balthus was physically far stronger than the two combined.

"B, don't do something we're gonna regret!" said Hapi. "Coco, give us a hand!"

"I surely can do nothing against Balthus' might, but if you insist that I must aid you, then so be it," Constance said gloomily.

Constance stepped over and feebly tried to help the other Ashen Wolves stop Balthus from punching the ornate dome. Even with Constance's help, however, the brawler was too strong, and amid his struggles he managed to place his palm on the dome.

The second he did, the dome began to shimmer brightly, surprising everyone.

"Oh my, what's happening?" said Mercedes.

"It's reacting… to Baltie?" said Hilda.

"Ehh?" said Balthus as he stopped struggling for a moment to look at the dome. The sight prompted the other Ashen Wolves to stop as well.

"Well, that's interesting," said Yuri. "Hapi, Constance, put your hands on it."

"What? Are you serious, Yuribird?" asked Hapi.

"If I must," said Constance.

The four Ashen Wolves touched the dome, each one touching a Crest design. As each one lay their hand upon it, the dome began to glow brighter and brighter. As it did, four Crests began to shimmer above the heads of each of the Ashen Wolves, each one matching the Apostle Crest designs. The dome then let off a blinding flash, prompting everyone to shield their eyes.

"Ah! What's it doing?!" Dorothea said in alarm.

The flash of light faded, allowing everyone to see. The Ashen Wolves removed their hands from the dome as it began to whir and shift in shape, intricately shifting parts into the altar to expose what was within.

As the dome completed its shift back into the altar, the students could all see a golden chalice on the altar.

"Is that…" said Balthus as Constance picked up the chalice.

"You would know best," said Constance. "It is beyond my ken whether this is the chalice. Curse my ignorance!"

"Answer the question, will ya? Is it or isn't it?"

"My apologies. I have caused you undue vexation by speaking so incomprehensibly. Were I to venture a tentative guess, I would say that this is, indeed, the Chalice of Beginnings."

"You could have just said, 'This is it, all right!', you know!"

"What an impressing… umm, impressive sight," said Petra.

"So, that's the Chalice of Beginnings?" said Dorothea. "It's smaller than I thought."

"Appearances can be deceiving," said Anna. "There's definitely something magical about it, though."

"Forgotten Crests resembling those of the Four Apostles, depicted on a sealed dome…" Linhardt said as he pondered aloud. "Objects that resemble holy armaments and a chalice that gathers magic all on its own… I don't know of any other legends that cover all of that, so this must be the chalice we're looking for."

"Leave it to Linhardt to come up with a complex explanation," said Caspar.

Constance then said, "A thousand thank-yous for covering my own inadequacy with such a competent explanation."

With a look of exasperation on her face, Edelgard said, "I'm still not used to hearing you speak in such a manner…"

"Me neither," said Mercedes, while Ferdinand nodded in agreement.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," said Constance. "If I have displeased you, please take my life as a small gesture of atonement."

"Wait, what?" Bernadetta said in total confusion.

Then, in a mocking tone, Claude said, "Oh, Your Highest of Highnesses, I doth humbly beg of thee to find forgiveness within your royal heart."

Dorothea couldn't help but laugh at this as she said, "Who knew you were such a theatric, Claude? Oh, mine own dearest Edie, doth showeth mercy to one as miserable as her!"

This brought out several laughs from the students.

"S-Stop fooling around, you two!" Edelgard stammered as she blushed. "And, Constance, I assure you, there is nothing to forgive."

After the students laughed for a moment longer, Anna then looked to the Ashen Wolves and said, "So, are you four gonna tell us how you all have Crests no one has seen in centuries?"

Confused, Dorothea said, "Huh?"

Everyone turned to look at the Ashen Wolves as Yuri said, "Heh, guess the cat's outta the bag on that one. Yeah, we each bear one of the Forgotten Crests."

"When were you gonna tell us this?" asked Claude.

"Preferably, we weren't. It wasn't a need-to-know thing."

"I dunno about that," said Leonie, clearly annoyed by being kept in the dark.

"Hey, we trust you guys, we just didn't trust you that much. However, seeing as you all helped out in finding the Chalice…"

It was at that moment that the students heard a distant rumbling from the sky. They looked up and saw dark clouds beginning to form overhead.

"I hear thunder," said Dimitri. "Rain is soon to follow."

"We'd better head back to Abyss before the storm hits us," said Yuri. "Come on, we'll talk about our respective Crests on the way back, okay?"

As the others nodded in agreement and began making their way back toward the entrance tunnel, the clouds soon covered the sun, blocking out its light.

And as the sun vanished from sight, Constance's mood immediately changed.

"Ugh! It happened yet AGAIN!" Constance hissed angrily. "Why must my good intentions always lead to such embarrassment?!"

"Oh great, you're back to normal," Dorothea said sardonically. "I liked it better when you were more pessimistic than Marianne."

"Be silent, you wanton thespian! If I hear you belittling me for my condition again, I will not hesitate to incinerate you!"

"Okay, okay, enough of that, Coco," Hapi said irritably as she and the others got inside the entrance tunnel. "Get back here before you two get–"

Before Hapi could finish, another crash of thunder was heard overhead. Constance and Dorothea both looked up just in time to see a deluge of rain coming down at them. And they were the only two left outside.

Both girls shrieked as they ran for shelter, but by the time they got inside they were already soaking wet. This prompted numerous chuckles at their bad luck.

As she swept some water out of her eyes, Constance growled furiously and shouted at Dorothea, "If I become ill because of you, I will ensure you pay, Arnault!"

Dorothea's reply was a loud, "Can you just SHUT UP?!"

* * *

_It's hard coming up with eloquent dialogue for Constance to use whenever she insults Dorothea. Shoot me some ideas, please._

_This definitely differs from the actual scene in-game, and there's no super-Golem that's going to be chasing them. I always felt that Golem was just something out of nowhere meant to spur on the battle it appears in. Couple that with me not using Phantom soldiers, and its presence would be outright awkward._

_Of course, the students aren't out of the woods yet. Stay tuned!_


	62. Danger in the Dark

_Another battle that's mostly filler, but goes to show how far everyone's come so far, including our diva._

* * *

**Chapter 62 – Danger in the Dark (Red Wolf Moon)**

"So, let's get this straight," said Claude as the students continued their trek back toward Abyss. "Constance, your family line is descended from Saint Noa, but your family had you masquerade as having the Crest of Macuil?"

"You are correct, von Riegan," Constance said with unease. "I suspect that Saint Noa feared that revealing her Crest would have only led to tragedy. As part of our ancestors' promise to Saint Noa, House Nuvelle disallowed marriage with other houses in order to keep our bloodline pure. They also produced as few heirs as possible."

"Wait, so you mean you would've had to marry your own brother?" asked Annette. "EWW!"

The others also gave off expressions of disgust at the notion. Incest, while not outright forbidden, was considered highly distasteful in Fódlan.

"Y-Yes, I would have…" Constance answered in discomfort. "But ultimately, our family's need to keep our bloodline pure was what led to our downfall. Our priorities were, perhaps, not what they ought to have been. In sidestepping the internal strife within the Empire, we left ourselves open to the external threat posed by Dagda and Brigid. With stronger blood ties to other houses, we might have had allies in our time of greatest need."

"Okay, so, sidestepping that for now," said Claude, wanting to get back on topic. "Balthus, you carry the Major Crest of Chevalier?"

"Yep. Not something I go announcing publicly, you know," said Balthus. "I had to leave House Albrecht behind after the Church found out I had it. It would've created a big stink back home, and in my mom's home of Kupala."

"Why is that?" asked Dedue.

"See, my stepmother hates my guts, and she's obsessed with making sure my little step-bro is heir to the family name. I don't want the inheritance, but she couldn't care less; she, in her crazy mind, thinks that as long as I'm even breathing, I'm a threat to my little bro's inheritance. It's part of the reason why I live down in Abyss, aside from all the bounty hunters after my head."

"Oh, Baltie…" Hilda said sympathetically.

"Me, I dunno how I ended up with the Crest of Timotheos," said Hapi. "But it's brought me nothing but trouble."

"Wait, so your Crest is what makes you summon monsters when you sigh?" asked Leonie.

"It wasn't always like that, not when I was a kid. I ran away from home when I was about nine and then got scooped up by a woman in Faerghus. She said she'd feed me and give me a roof, and she did, but she also subjected me to all kinds of… horrible experiments and stuff. As a result, I ended up with my sighing problem. No one's been able to fix it."

"Oh Hapi, that's terrible," said Mercedes. "Who would do such a thing to you?"

"I never learned the woman's name. She always kept it a secret from me. All I can really remember is her voice… and that she had bigger tits than Chatterbox."

This comment left a lot of the others flustered, amused, confused, or weirded out. Byleth was blushing at Hapi making another mention of her enormous chest.

"That's… an awfully specific detail to remember," Ashe said with a blush.

"Hey, not my fault she liked to flaunt them all the time."

"I suppose I'm last on the list," said Yuri. "I've got the Major Crest of Aubin. Never did sort out how I have this thing."

"So, the four Crests, which were presumed lost, have all been gathered into the same house," said Edelgard. "How curious."

"All thanks to our buddy Aelfric, it would seem," said Claude.

"Yeah, we owe Elfie a lot," said Hapi.

"He's the one who set up the Ashen Wolf House, right?" asked Caspar. "Sounds like a heck of guy."

"He is," said Yuri. "Like Hapi said, we owe him a great deal." Then, turning to Byleth, "If I recall correctly, he's a friend of your parents, right?"

"Yes, he is," said Byleth. "He and my father have known each other for a long time."

"Have you known Aelfric that long too, Anna?" asked Dorothea.

"Me? Nah, only for a few months now," said Anna. "I might've seen him in passing before then, but we never really spoke until I set up shop at Garreg Mach."

"So, you haven't even known the Ashen Wolves for that long?" asked Ingrid.

"Longer than the rest of you, that's for sure. But I could tell when I met you all that you were good kids, if a little… weird in some ways."

The Ashen Wolves did not comment on Anna's choice of words.

The students soon reached a large chamber with a large array of broken pillars, decaying crates, and other debris scattered about the area. They knew they were on the right track thanks to some wall markings they had left on their way down, and the room was a familiar sight. They would be back in Abyss in less than an hour at their pace.

But as they were about to move on, Felix noticed that some of the debris had been moved out of place. A few broken boards, which had been leaning upright before, had fallen over, as though pushed by someone.

"Hold on," said Felix.

"What is it, Felix?" asked Dorothea as the students stopped.

"Someone else has been here. I don't think we're alone."

"What are you talking about, Felix?" said Sylvain. "No one else knows we're down here. Who would–"

The sound of a creaking board caught their attention.

"Ah! What was that?!" Bernadetta squeaked in fright.

Looking around, Byleth scanned their surroundings for any signs of movement. The others did the same, but the chamber was dark and only their torches were providing any illumination.

Then, Dorothea saw something moving behind an old crumbling statue. For a moment she thought it could've just been a rat, but she caught sight of the familiar glint of a steel weapon.

"Over there!" the singer shouted as she readied her magic.

She raised her left arm over her head and released a ball of light to illuminate the darkness. As the chamber was lit up, the others could now see far more silhouettes hiding from them.

The students immediately drew their weapons and readied their spells as Dimitri shouted, "Show yourselves! We know you are hiding from us!"

The students watched as a group of no fewer than fifty well-armed bandits emerged from hiding and began to take positions. The students were at least outnumbered two-to-one.

"Just like the boss said, they came back," said one of the bandits.

"So, you brats found the treasure-majig?" another one said stupidly. "Treasure-thingy? Whatever it's called! Doesn't matter. Hand it over!"

"These brutes are discussing treasure…" Constance muttered under her breath. "How much can they have surmised?"

Another bandit stepped out, this one looking to be the leader, and said, "No need for them to just hand it over. We'll take it and anything else valuable from them when they're dead."

"Hehehe, sounds good to me!" shouted another bandit.

The other bandits cheered as they began their attack, a disorganized mob that simply rushed in to overpower the students through numerical superiority.

Byleth's response was immediate as she shouted, "Defensive positions!"

The students, despite being tired from fighting the Golems, moved swiftly to their positions, with shields and lances in front to meet the incoming attackers. The archers moved behind the melee fighters as they raised their bows and fired at the approaching bandits, downing several in the first volley. The mages followed up with their spells, each one striking home and eliminating another threat. Thanks to the bandits' carelessness, more than ten of them were dead before the first one even reached the defensive line.

Then the bandits' own archers raised their bows and fired, but their marksmanship was unimpressive, missing their marks or otherwise bouncing off armor or wards. The first bandits who met the students in melee combat were quickly cut down by the lances, swords and axes of the students. However, the sheer number of bandits compared to the students led to some getting through the defensive line, forcing the archers and mages to defend themselves.

Dorothea already had Joyeuse drawn when a bandit rushed her with an axe. She avoided the clumsy swing and thrust the blade at the man's chest. He let out a howl of pain as he was skewered by the tip, but Dorothea's strike had not hit him a vital place and had barely breached the skin. As she pulled her blade back, he roared angrily as he took another swing at the surprised diva. She barely blocked the strike but yelped as she was knocked back. The bandit made another charge at her, only to have a Wind spell from Annette blast him away. Dorothea had no time to thank the diminutive mage before another bandit, this one with a damaged steel sword, thrust his blade at her. Dorothea dodged to the side and slashed, her blade hitting him in the shoulder. However, Joyeuse was not designed for cutting through flesh with its blade, so the wound Dorothea inflicted was shallow. It was enough, however, to stall the bandit's attack.

"You're gonna pay for that, missie," snarled the bandit. "I'm gonna make you pay with that sweet, sweet body of yours!"

The bandit took several swings at Dorothea. She parried each strike but knew she couldn't keep it up for long. Then the bandit, frustrated by her blocks, raised his blade and left himself wide open. Dorothea took the chance and made a hard thrust, impaling the bandit through his heart. The bandit let out a loud cry of agony, dropping his weapon as Dorothea struggled to pull her blade out of his chest. As she removed Joyeuse from him, the bandit fell back to the ground, dead.

For a second, Dorothea looked around at the chaos surrounding her before she heard Byleth shout, "Dorothea, on your left!"

Dorothea whipped around to see a knife-wielding bandit rushing at Mercedes, whose back was turned as she tried to heal Hapi after the dark-skinned girl had taken an arrow to her right leg. Immediately, Dorothea swung Joyeuse at the bandit and sliced through his throat with the tip of her blade, sending him toppling to the ground just inches behind Mercedes.

Before Dorothea could do anything else, she cried out as another bandit tackled her, sending her to the ground on her back as she lost her grip on Joyeuse. Dorothea struggled with the bandit as he tried to drive a knife into her collarbone.

"Get off me!" Dorothea cried out. "Let me go, you– AAH!"

At that moment, Yuri's blade went right through the back of the bandit's skull and out his mouth, getting some blood on Dorothea's face. The bandit's knife slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor harmlessly. Dorothea frantically pushed the bandit off her as he slumped dead to the ground and then looked at Yuri.

"You alright, songbird?" Yuri asked her.

"T-Thanks for the save, Yurikins," Dorothea said in relief.

"Hey, save the cutesy names for after we get out of this mess."

As he said this, Yuri moved his foot underneath Joyeuse, kicked it up into the air and caught it before handing it to Dorothea, who immediately took back her Mythril blade as she got up.

At that moment, Byleth cut through two more bandits with a single slash of her whip sword before retracting it and blocking two strikes from another sword-wielder. She countered by lopping off the man's right arm and, as he screamed in shock at losing a limb, she stepped forward and slashed through the back of the man's spine, killing him instantly. She looked around to see that, in the span of a few minutes, the students had already wiped out most of the bandits.

Despite the situation, she couldn't help but smile a little in pride at this. She was particularly proud of Dorothea, who had unknowingly saved Mercedes from certain death. Byleth had been forced to rewind time after Dorothea's second kill slipped past her and stabbed the blonde healer in the back. Byleth wasn't able to stop the thief directly, as she had been forced to handle another four that would've hit their flank. She had to trust that Dorothea would intercept Mercedes' killer, and her trust had been rewarded.

The bandit leader, seeing his men being handled easily by the students, snarled for a moment before realizing that Anna, who was now wielding a silver dagger, was dashing at him. The bandit drew his blade and blocked before stepping back to ready himself.

Anna's face lit up as she saw the bandit leader was wielding a familiar wavy gold blade.

"Ooh, nice sword!" she said. "Mind if I have a look at it?"

The bandit leader roared as he swung his Levin Sword at Anna, who easily avoided the strike and then rushed forward to drive her dagger in between the man's ribs. The bandit leader let out a groan as one of his lungs was pierced, while Anna deftly took hold of the Levin Sword with her right hand before pushing the bandit leader away to perish on the floor.

Anna immediately began to inspect the weapon. "Lucky me!" she said. "And it's in good shape, too! Thanks for the business~"

As the merchant turned back to the battle, she was surprised to see the students had already routed the last of the bandits. Amazingly, the battle had only taken around five minutes, and all of the bandits were dead or soon to perish, while the students again had suffered no casualties. Raphael had the worst injury, having taken a shallow blow from an axe to his shoulder, but he was already being healed by Linhardt, who was groaning in disgust at the blood. Otherwise, most of the injuries were some cuts and bruises.

"Is everyone alright?" called out Dimitri.

"It appears that was the last of them," said Lorenz. "But what were these vagabonds doing here in any event?"

"A good question," said Hubert. "They seemed to know we passed through this area, and they knew of our objective."

"We should get back to Abyss as soon as possible," said Edelgard. "We can ponder on it later."

"No arguments from me," said Yuri. "Come on, let's get outta here."

Warily, the students kept their weapons drawn as they continued their march back to Abyss.

* * *

_Yeah, sorry I had one of the bandits make another rape threat, but hey, they're nameless bandits. And they're all dead now._

_This chapter, much like the in-game one, might seem like filler, but it also shows how much Byleth trusts Dorothea._

_Also, did I reveal too much too early about the Ashen Wolves (i.e. Hapi's curse background)? I know Linhardt is supposed to reveal the names of the Apostles, but I didn't really want to copy that part, so I decided to be original._

_And yeah, Anna got a new Levin Sword. Yay!_


	63. The Mysterious Letter

_Adapting the students into these story parts is pretty tricky, but also part of the job. I hope you all appreciate it._

* * *

**Chapter 63 – The Mysterious Letter (Red Wolf Moon)**

"Well, that was quite the… yeah…," said Dorothea as the students reached the outskirts of Abyss. "I know I'll never want to go back down there again."

"It was… a valuable learning experience," said Byleth. This was met by a few curious glances from the students.

"Learning experience? Seriously, By?" said Anna.

"That's certainly an odd way to put it, Teach," said Claude.

At that moment, the students saw one of the Abyssian rogues running out alongside one of the civilians, both looking to get their attention.

"You! You're all safe!" said the civilian. "How could you all sneak off at a time like this?!"

"W-What?" Marianne said in confusion.

"We had some crucial business underground," said Ferdinand.

"Underground? But we are underground!" said the rogue.

"He's got you there, Ferdie," Dorothea quipped.

"Anyway, things are bad! Really bad!"

"Did something happen?" asked Byleth.

"Some strangers from the outside have kidnapped Master Aelfric!"

As the students were left shocked at the news, Constance said, "Aelfric? No! It cannot be true!"

"When did this abduction occur?" asked Lorenz. "Do not spare any details."

"It happened as soon as he returned from the monastery," said the rogue. "Bandits were lying in wait for him."

"Dammit!" Balthus cursed as he punched a nearby wall, leaving several cracks in the brick. "How could this happen?!"

"This was clearly premeditated," said Constance. "I am certain it is connected to the bandits we fended off earlier."

"Have you alerted the church?" asked Yuri.

"Not yet. It all happened so suddenly…" said the rogue. "Do you think we should? Can we trust them? If we cause too much trouble, Abyss is doomed…"

"Now isn't the time to worry about that! We're in no position to cover something like this up. The church has eyes and ears everywhere, so they may already know what's going on. Either way, go and tell them the news. Now."

"Sure thing! Understood!"

As the rogue took off toward one of the passages leading to the surface, Yuri turned to the civilian and said, "Was anyone wounded when Aelfric was abducted?"

"Yeah," said the civilian. "The bandits set off an explosion of some kind in the market when it happened. And anyone who tried to help Aelfric was cut down. We've got at least a few dozen people in the infirmary."

"S-So many?" Constance gasped in shock. The others shared her dismay at the news.

"We can help," said Dorothea. "Come on, everyone."

…

Dorothea channeled her magic for one of the rogues who had a large gash in his chest from a sword wound. Though she was able to seal the wound, the rogue had already lost a lot of blood. Knowing she had done all she could, Dorothea stood up to look at the others in the infirmary.

It had been more than just a few people wounded during the attack. At least thirty people had been injured, most by the market explosion, with six dead. Most of the injuries had been minor, but at least six of the wounded were in a much worse state and weren't expected to last the night.

Over one of the mortally wounded rogues, Dorothea saw Marianne was offering a prayer to the Goddess. Despite the bluette's skill at healing, even she could not save this Abyssian from his inevitable death.

"Dear Goddess, please watch over this poor soul as he passes to your embrace," said Marianne. "May he find peace in your arms… and…"

Marianne stopped her prayer and began to cry. As she did, Dimitri walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, but Marianne did not look up at him.

"Mercie, can't you do something?" said Annette, prompting Dorothea to look at the two girls.

"I… I'm sorry, Annie, but this… Even I can't heal something this bad…" Mercedes said sadly.

Dorothea looked down at the woman the two were tending to. The Abyssian woman's left lung had been punctured among other severe injuries. She probably wouldn't last another hour.

The singer buried her face in her hands for a moment, wishing Manuela were with them. Deep down, however, Dorothea knew even she probably couldn't save these poor rogues.

Then, the singer heard Hapi say, "Hey, guys! We found something back in the classroom! You're gonna want to hear this."

The students looked briefly to the wounded and, realizing there wasn't anything more they could do, followed Hapi out of the infirmary.

…

"What did you find?" asked Byleth as she and the others gathered in the Ashen Wolves' classroom.

To answer, Yuri raised a letter in his hand.

"What does it say?" asked Dimitri.

Dorothea was the one to step forward and took hold of the letter. She then read it aloud.

"We have abducted Cardinal Aelfric. We can guarantee his safety, for now. If you want to help him, meet us tomorrow evening in the ruins of the old chapel. Bring the chalice. Know that if you alert the knights, the cardinal's life will be forfeit."

"Doubtless this was left by the scoundrels who abducted Aelfric," said Ferdinand.

"Our enemy really is after the chalice," said Constance. "All the while, they were waiting for us to locate it for them…" Then, pondering for a moment, she added, "No… No! Something about this does not ring true!"

"None of it rings true, so which part in particular are you talking about?" asked Hapi.

"How did the enemy know we were searching for the chalice to begin with? This can only mean that someone in Abyss is…"

Everybody knew where this was going before Yuri spoke.

"You smell a rat," he said. "Someone who notified the church or someone else of our plan."

It was then that Constance and Hapi looked toward the first-year students.

"W-Wait a second, why are you looking at us like that?" Bernadetta asked fearfully.

"Y-You don't believe one of us did it, do you?" asked Marianne.

"I dunno, anything's possible," Hapi said crossly.

"Leave it alone, Hapi," said Yuri. "I doubt it was one of them. Whoever kidnapped Aelfric had to be someone with inside knowledge of our defenses and someone who could've snuck that bomb in without being noticed. I don't think any of them fit that criteria."

"Yuri's right, Hapi," said Balthus. "Besides, we were with them the whole time finding this damn thing." He gestured to the chalice as he added, "If one of them was the rat, how would they have gotten word to all those bandits?"

"I… see your point, B," said Hapi. "Sorry, everyone."

"It's no good talking about theoretical rats right now," said Yuri. "First, we have to deal with the problem at hand."

"Too true," said Constance. "For once you are speaking reasonably."

"There is something that is bothering me about all of this," said Edelgard. "The identities of the cardinals are a closely guarded secret of the church. Yet Aelfric's status was disclosed in that letter. Could this signal a power struggle within the church?"

"A distinct possibility, Lady Edelgard," said Hubert. "Or perhaps that is just what our enemy wants us to believe."

"According to the legend that Aelfric shared with us, the chalice has the power to bring back the dead," said Dimitri. "Are his captors hoping to resurrect someone?"

"Or maybe they just want to sell it for a huge payoff," said Sylvain.

"Somehow, I doubt that, Sylvain," Felix said wryly.

"I'll bet whoever took Aelfric knows how to use the chalice," said Claude. "I doubt they just plan to decorate their mantle with it."

"I agree with Claude," said Lysithea. "With everything else that has happened, it's reasonable to assume that Aelfric's abductors know of the chalice's power."

"Baltie, were you aware that Aelfric was a cardinal all this time?" asked Hilda. "I thought the cardinals were just some myth."

"Nah, it's news to me," said Balthus. "The identity of the cardinals is top secret, even within the church. He never would have told us something like that. Oh, except maybe Yuri…"

"He and I talk about a lot of things," said Yuri. "But right now, I'd say we have more important topics to discuss than his title. Aelfric's been kidnapped, so what are we going to do about it?"

The students murmured for a bit among each other as they thought on what to do.

After a few seconds, Bernadetta said, "I think we should just let them have what they want. Then they'll give him back, right?"

"You just wanna give it up after we worked so hard to get it?" said Annette. "We can't do that!"

"Honestly, I believe it would be safer to give them the chalice," said Ignatz. "We would be able to recover Aelfric that way, and the Knights could always take back the chalice afterwards."

"I dunno, Ignatz," said Raphael. "Doesn't sound right just giving in to their demands."

"Even if it is in the name of rescuing him, we simply cannot hand over the chalice to those scoundrels!" said Constance.

"Let's just give them the thing and be done with it," said Hapi.

"Actually, I agree with Constance, and I can't believe I'm saying that," said Dorothea. "If we hand over the chalice, what guarantee do we have that they'll give Aelfric back to us?"

"Dorothea's right," said Anna. "You give in to someone's demands like that, and they'll know they can keep demanding more from you. It's common sense."

"I've seen so many people go back on their word in deals like this from my time in Enbarr. I doubt these guys will honor their end of the bargain."

"I am having agreement with Dorothea," said Petra. "Err, I mean, I agree with Dorothea."

"Same here," said Claude.

"As do I," said Dimitri.

"Professor, what do you believe we should do?" asked Edelgard.

Before Byleth could answer, the sound of footsteps drew everyone's attention to the classroom entrance as Alois and Shamir came into view.

"Professor! I came as fast as I could when I heard the report," said Alois. "I had no idea you'd be here! Oh, and you neither, Anna!"

"Is this loud… uh, excitable knight a friend of yours?" asked Yuri.

"He's a friend of my father's," said Byleth.

"Precisely so! I'm Alois, right-hand man to the former captain of the Knights of Seiros, Sir Jeralt!" said the jovial knight.

"And who's this here?" Balthus asked as he eyed Shamir. "Didn't know such a beauty was one of the knights."

"I wouldn't try it, Balthus," said Sylvain. "Shamir's as stone cold as a winter night in northern Faerghus."

"I've met colder. But if you ask me, she's one smokin' hot – GUH!"

Shamir had walked past Balthus and delivered a sharp elbow to his gut, silencing his comment.

"Tried to warn you," said Sylvain.

"Rhea informed me that you and your students were down here," said Shamir. "Alois, however, didn't get the message. I wasn't aware you'd be here too, Anna."

"Well, you know, I go where the fun is," Anna said jokingly.

"Right…"

"Now, about Aelfric's kidnapping…" said Alois. "Since he's an important member of the church, we must use any means necessary to find him. That said… most of the knights have been deployed to deal with the Western Church."

"Sure, but any knights are better than no knights, yeah?" said Balthus as he recovered from Shamir's blow.

"I like your attitude, though I'm still embarrassed that we're not in full force… But hey, at least we're quite forceful!"

Shamir made a loud sigh at this as Hapi said, "Yep, still as lame as I remember."

"Hmm? Oh, you're that girl with the, err, monster problem, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me. Now stop trying to be funny before you make me have a really big sigh."

"Sorry about that. I guess this is hardly the time for humor."

"Here. Take this letter," said Yuri as he handed the letter to Shamir. "We believe it was left by whoever kidnapped the cardinal. In it, the enemy clearly spells out their plan. They're after a chalice that was hidden beneath Abyss."

"A chalice…? Ah! Do you mean THE chalice?! But no, why would it be there? I've never heard anything about it being stowed away in Abyss."

"Then this is gonna come as a shock, pal," said Balthus as he held up the chalice.

"By the goddess! Is that really the chalice from the legends?!"

"The probability of that is unassailably high, yes," said Constance.

"It was guarded by a bunch of giant, creepy toys," said Hapi. "There was powerful magic protecting it and everything."

"Yes, they gave us a fair amount of trouble," said Lorenz. "Nothing we could not handle, however." Lorenz then let out a short laugh at this.

"I dunno, Lorenz, your ribs were pretty tricky for me to heal," said Dorothea, which quickly left Lorenz stammering in embarrassment.

"Is all of this true?" Shamir asked Byleth.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Byleth answered.

"Me too!" said Anna. "And I have a broken Levin Sword to prove it…"

The other students affirmed this claim.

"If you all say so," said Alois. "Wow, that means the story about the chalice being bound was true. Well, what's done is done! Oh, but I guess it's not done just yet. We will need to report this to Lady Rhea at once!"

"I just hope we aren't going to be in some kind of trouble for removing it," said Mercedes.

Dorothea did her best to hide her own nervous expression at these words. Rhea was unlikely to have forgotten how she and Byleth had trespassed in Zanado. Dorothea hoped the archbishop would be as forgiving as she had been back then.

As she put away the letter in her jacket, Shamir stepped up to Byleth and whispered, "Didn't we tell you and Dorothea not to go into forbidden places already?"

Byleth was about to protest, but upon seeing Shamir give her a knowing smirk, all the teacher could do was let out a bashful "Ehehehe…"

* * *

_I always wondered why the Ashen Wolves didn't get any supports with any of the Knights of Seiros. I could totally see Balthus having supports with Catherine (maybe the two of them were in the same year at the Officers' Academy), or Constance with Shamir (up to a B rank), or Hapi with Alois. Really, the Ashen Wolves got the short end of the stick when it came their number of support chains._

_Here's a list of some supports I think should've been done with the Ashen Wolves._

_Yuri/Ashe_

_Yuri/Seteth (C-B)_

_Yuri/Flayn_

_Balthus/Catherine_

_Balthus/Manuela_

_Balthius/Raphael (C-B)_

_Constance/Shamir (C-B)_

_Constance/Petra (C-B)_

_Constance/Hanneman_

_Hapi/Alois_

_Hapi/Hanneman_

_Hapi/Marianne (C-B)_

_Also, I know that in the original Cindered Shadows story that there weren't that many wounded when Aelfric was abducted, but I chose to add a slightly higher body count. Helps to make the kidnappers seem more monstrous, but I wonder if it's out of character for the mastermind._

_Finally, the next battle is going to have a significant alteration to it, one that relates to our favorite diva. Stay tuned!_


	64. Passion of the Wolves

_More filler before the next battle, with alterations of scenes from Cindered Shadows. And yes, I know the title sounds goofy, but it's the title of an in-game segment._

* * *

**Chapter 64 – Passion of the Wolves (Red Wolf Moon)**

The first-year students had all been gathered in the audience chamber before Archbishop Rhea. The green-haired woman now held the Chalice of Beginnings in her hands as Byleth stood before the students, having just finished explaining everything that had happened in Abyss to the Archbishop, as well as to Seteth and Flayn.

"This is, indeed, the Chalice of Beginnings," said Rhea. "It matches the descriptions in the few records of it that remain."

Yuri then said, "Don't beat around the bush. What's our punishment?"

This was met by several looks of dismay from the students.

"Lady Rhea's not really gonna punish us, is she?" Bernadetta whimpered.

"You removed a most sacred treasure. Truly it is my obligation to mete out punishment for that transgression," said Rhea, which left the students with looks of alarm. "However… You also helped the church locate a valuable artifact. In light of this good deed, I shall forgive the bad one."

Several of the first-year students let out sighs of relief, though this was to Hapi's chagrin since she couldn't join in on it.

Rhea then looked at Byleth and said wistfully, "I do wonder…"

"What is it, Lady Rhea?" asked Byleth.

"I am wondering whether your presence had anything to do with the artifact's unbinding, Professor. As per the church chronicles, the Four Apostles secured the chalice with powerful magic. The only way to release the chalice is by using the four Crests passed down through their bloodlines. However, given the special power you possess, the Crest of Flames, perhaps you were able to unlock it yourself."

"I… couldn't tell you, honestly," said Byleth. She and the others had agreed not to speak of the Ashen Wolves' Crests, thinking the Archbishop would react badly if she learned about them. She didn't like having to lie to Rhea, but the Ashen Wolves had made her promise to keep their secret.

"There is no knowing at present."

"For the time being, we shall keep the chalice safe in our custody," said Seteth. "As for Aelfric, the Knights will find and return him in due time. I will be dispatching them as soon as this meeting is concluded."

"I consider Aelfric to be one of my many children, after all," said Rhea. "I will not allow harm to befall him."

"Lady Rhea, might I ask a moment of your time?" said Constance. "We cannot be expected to give up our endeavor! The enemy stated most clearly that if the knights are involved, our dear Aelfric is finished! We owe him so much. If there is any possibility that his life is in danger, the risk is too great to chance!"

"True," said Hapi. "The knights are strong and all, but they're liable to get him killed."

"We will take the utmost precautions during his rescue," said Seteth.

"Wish I could have faith in that," said Yuri. "But I don't. These guys aren't dummies if they managed to slip through Abyss' defenses. I doubt you'll be able to get the drop on them."

"We can take care of it," said Hapi. "With Chatterbox's help, of course."

"And the rest of us, no doubt?" asked Ferdinand.

"Sure, the more the merrier," said Balthus. "And Professor Eisner here's got the strength of a hundred knights, or about one and a half of me. We've got this."

"Yeah, we can do it!" said Raphael.

"Those creeps won't even know what hit'em!" added Caspar.

"Just leave it to us, Lady Rhea," said Mercedes.

"How about it, Rhea?" said Balthus. "We've been through too damned much to get here. Leave the chalice and Aelfric to us. You won't regret it."

Rhea was silent as she thought the proposal over.

"Lady Rhea…" said Yuri. "Please, let us do this."

Rhea let out a pensive "Hmm…" as she heard the students giving their assurances.

"I understand you all feel you are up to the challenge," said Seteth. "But this situation calls for those fully qualified to handle it."

"I dunno, Seteth," said Anna. "If you want my expert opinion, these kids do fine work."

"Excuse me if I cannot trust your 'expert opinion', Miss Anna."

Before Anna could say anything else, Byleth took a step forward and said, "I will take full responsibility, Lady Rhea."

"Professor?" said Dorothea.

"If something goes wrong, you can hold me accountable."

Seteth then said, "Professor Eisner, you may possess incredible skill and power in battle, but this is a situation that requires–"

"Enough, Seteth," said Rhea. Turning to Byleth, she then said, "If you consent to join your power with theirs… Yes, perhaps there is hope. As you wish. I shall entrust you with the chalice."

As Rhea stepped forward to hand the Chalice of Beginnings to Byleth, Seteth said in protest, "Lady Rhea, you cannot possibly be thinking to risk a sacred treasure such as this!"

"There is no cause to worry, Seteth, I assure you. There will be no further discussion on the matter. Even if we lost hold of the chalice, it would be impossible for the thieves to make use of it. Though it was created to return a life that was lost, I doubt that anyone alive knows how to accomplish that feat. If someone were to successfully replicate the ritual… It would perhaps be the work of fate."

Seteth was silent for a moment before he let out a sigh and said, "Very well, Lady Rhea. I will trust your judgment in this." Turning to Byleth and the students, "There you have it, everyone. The Archbishop is placing a great deal of trust in you to carry out this mission. Ensure you do not disappoint."

"We won't let you down," said Dorothea.

"Indeed, we shall not," said Flayn as she took a step toward the others.

Realizing what Flayn was intending to do, Seteth said, "Flayn, are you intending to join them on such a perilous assignment?"

"Brother, my skill in White Magic may be just what they need to rescue Brother Aelfric." Turning to the others, she then added, "Unless any of you would happen to know how to cast Rescue, would you?"

"Uhh, no, not me," said Dorothea.

"I haven't tried learning that one yet," said Mercedes.

"I wouldn't be able to do it right, even if I knew how," Marianne said gloomily.

"Rescue is a very complicated spell to master, even for me," said Lysithea.

"I have… yet to master that bit of sorcery, I am afraid," said Constance.

"There you have it, Brother," said Flayn.

"I… Very well, Flayn," said Seteth. "But please, do not put yourself at any sort of unnecessary risk."

"Don't worry about it, Seteth," said Dorothea. "We'll keep Flayn, Aelfric, and the chalice safe."

Dorothea's statement was joined by the others giving their affirmation.

…

Knowing they had until the next day to prepare for the upcoming mission, the students saw fit to head down to the dining hall, with the Ashen Wolves joining them for a big meal.

Dorothea let out a groan of annoyance as Constance let out a laugh upon being served a platter of Bourgeois Pike, a meal Dorothea knew she wasn't going to partake in. Ferdinand, on the other hand, was quick to sit across from Constance to share such a meal.

Deciding not to watch the two people she disliked the most, Dorothea looked to see the rest of the dining hall was nothing short of chaos. Balthus and Raphael had gotten into an eating contest, and so far, they were neck-and-neck with each other. Hapi was helping herself to a serving of Pheasant Roast with Berry Sauce, trying not to listen to Ashe as he praised the Knights of Seiros and the ideals of chivalry. Yuri, on the other hand, was chatting with Byleth, but Dorothea couldn't make out what he was saying. The two made their way to the table as Yuri made his way back to sit next to Bernadetta, who sat across from Dorothea and had been obliged to stay despite how terrified she looked. Byleth sat herself down next to Dorothea.

"Enjoying yourselves, I take it?" asked Yuri.

"More-or-less," said Dorothea. "I could do without Constance's voice grating in my ears."

"You think her laughter's bad, do you? You should hear her when she sings."

"I'll pass!" Dorothea snapped. "I don't think my ears could take that."

"Hehe, I won't disagree with you there."

The four helped themselves to some more Peach Sorbet as they listened to the others. Balthus had finally won the eating contest, but he looked as though he were going to puke at any moment. Sylvain had let out a yelp after Ingrid stomped on his foot for saying something stupid. Edelgard and Hubert were having another private discussion in a corner. And Marianne was blushing quite nervously as Dimitri gave her his serving of Sweet Rolls.

"Mmm, I've missed this," said Yuri as he savored his Peach Sorbet. "You don't get food like this down in Abyss."

"I guess not," said Dorothea. Then, struck by curiosity, she asked, "Hey, Yuri, how did you end up in Abyss anyway?"

"Hmm? Why do you wanna know?"

"It's just… I remember now that I once saw you in the service of Count Brauner. You didn't happen to get on his bad side, did you?"

Yuri let out a chuckle as he said, "Oh no, nothing like that. I landed in Abyss for something that happened quite a bit after that stint. Two years ago, actually. I ended up killing some people from the church."

"Y-Y-You what?!" Bernadetta yelped in shock.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Byleth.

"Originally, I attended the academy as Count Rowe's adopted kid. There came a point when the church ordered me to wipe out some members from my old gang. Told me it was part of some important mission."

"Your old gang?" asked Dorothea.

"To most other people, they were little more than common thieves. Anyway, they're like family to me, so naturally I protested my orders. Things got pretty heated and, well… the rest is history."

"Wow… I'm amazed you weren't executed for that."

"Heh, you're telling me. Aelfric stepped in and implored them to spare my life, told them to consider the circumstances. It's not so different for the rest of the Ashen Wolves. He helped us all out in different ways. And that's why tomorrow we can't let him down."

"We won't fail him, Yuri," said Byleth. "I promise you."

"You don't seem like the type to break your promises, Professor Eisner, so I'll take your word for it."

It was then that the conversation was broken up as they heard Balthus shout out, "Hey hey hey! If it isn't Thunderstrike Cassandra! Been a long time, Cass!"

The group turned to see Catherine had shown up in the dining hall and was now standing before a cheerful Balthus.

"Well, if this isn't a surprise, Balthus," said Catherine. "And by the way, I go by the name Catherine nowadays."

"Is that so? Yeah, I can work with that, Cass– err, Cath. Heh, that's gonna take some getting used to."

"Baltie, I didn't know you and Catherine knew each other," said Hilda.

"Oh yeah, we were in the same year back when I was at the Officers' Academy. Different houses, of course."

"Yeah, and unlike you, I didn't drop out," said Catherine.

"Hey! I would've graduated if things back home hadn't gotten so bad. And I hear you got it pretty lousy too back home after that whole–"

"Not here, Balthus," Catherine said sternly.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Sensitive situation and all that."

"I heard you guys got yourselves in a real pickle. Need a hand rescuing Aelfric? Thunderbrand and I could use a good fight."

Stepping toward Catherine, Yuri said, "We appreciate the offer, Catherine, but we can't have any Knights on this mission. Aelfric's kidnappers were very clear: if any Knights at all show up, he's a dead man."

"I see," Catherine said in disappointment.

"And, no offense, Cass, but stealth was never really your strong suit," said Balthus. "Err, Cath. Damn, did it again."

"It's alright, Balthus. If that's how it is, I guess I'll have to sit out of this one." Catherine then turned to Byleth and said, "Professor Eisner, I wish you and your students the best of luck on your mission. Bring Aelfric home safe, alright?"

"You have my word," said Byleth.

…

Nighttime came shortly after the students had finished their small feast, and after a hard day of fighting the students weren't about to protest the idea of getting some rest. However, Dorothea found herself restless in the middle of the night and soon she was having a walk around the dormitories.

As she did, she was startled when she turned a corner and almost walked right into Yuri.

"Hey there, songbird," said the lavender rogue.

"Yuri, is there something you wanted?" asked Dorothea.

"Let's not deny that there's a connection between us. How about you and I have ourselves a little date, huh?"

Briefly surprised, Dorothea made a sultry smile as she said, "A date, huh? I dunno… The way I see it, you're smiling with your mouth but not with your eyes."

"Ha! It only happens when I'm being a little greedy."

"Just a little?" Then, thinking something was off about the whole thing, she asked, "But, are you sure this is really the time to be thinking about a date? I mean, we've still got to save Aelfric tomorrow."

"Of course it's the time for it. With my heart full from a nice date, I'll be poised to fight with extra vigor in the next battle."

"Riiight…"

"So, when the bell strikes midnight tomorrow evening, meet me out front of the Holy Mausoleum. My only condition is that you arrive promptly after midnight, and not a moment before. What say you?"

"The Holy Mausoleum? But we're forbidden from entering it. And why at such a late hour?"

"It's the most romantic time of the evening of course! Or is the idea of a date with me not appealing to you? Heh heh…"

"Umm, well…"

"Nobles have nearly killed one another fighting for my affections, you know. I'm sure the same's gone for you, songbird. Perhaps you won't get all you want out of me, heh, but I'll promise you a fun time regardless."

"I… suppose it'd be rude of me to say no. Alright then, Yuri, I accept."

"It's settled. I'll see you tomorrow night, friend. Don't stand me up."

With that, Yuri slinked off into the darkness, and Dorothea decided to head back toward her room.

But as she turned another corner, she again almost walked right into someone, this time Byleth.

"Oh, Professor Byleth!" Dorothea said as she was startled. "Didn't see you there."

"You were having a chat with Yuri," said Byleth.

"Yes, we were. It's silly, really. He was asking me out for a date tomorrow at midnight. And you wouldn't believe where he wanted me to meet him."

"Right outside the Holy Mausoleum?"

"W-What?" Dorothea was not expecting Byleth to already know the answer.

"He asked me to show up there too."

"W-Wha…?" After a few seconds, Dorothea let out a short laugh as she said indignantly, "Why that… that scoundrel!"

* * *

_Yuri making big plays, isn't he?_

_I bet you're wondering why I've made such a change to the DLC story. Well, you're gonna have to wait and see._

_And yes, I know Balthus and Catherine have no Support chain in-game, but I view that as a hugely missed opportunity. They're around the same age, so it would make sense if they were in the same year when they went to the Officers' Academy._

_Next chapter's going to have quite the original twist._


	65. A Sibling Skirmish

_Oof, another long one. Maybe I dragged out some of the fighting too long._

* * *

**Chapter 65 – A Sibling Skirmish (Red Wolf Moon)**

Aelfric stood between a group of rogues with his hands bound, taking a moment to glance over at the two leaders of the band that had taken him prisoner. The first, Metodey, wore a bloodstained mask to conceal his face, but Aelfric knew he would forever remember the sadistic man's voice. He had seen Metodey cut down several of the Abyssian rogues, each life ended cruelly and without a shred of mercy.

The second of the two was a disgraced noble with a lean frame and messy blonde hair, but Aelfric did not know his name. Despite his criminal status, he wore an outfit that showed his obsession with wealth. He too was wearing a mask, but his voice was easy for Aelfric to recognize.

"You think the knights will show, boss?" one of the rogues said to Metodey.

"I personally hope so," Metodey said viciously. "How I'd love the chance to sink my blade into some of the Knights of Seiros."

"Just as long as we get what we came for," said the blonde noble.

"You'll get your gold when we're finished here. And then you can be on your merry way to Magvel or wherever it is you're going."

At that moment, another rogue came rushing toward them and said, "Boss, we've got company. They aren't knights."

"Really?"

"Yeah, looks like a bunch of noble brats instead."

"Students of the Officers' Academy," said the noble. He then said to Aelfric, "So, they actually think to retrieve you? They're in for a very harsh lesson."

Aelfric said nothing to this as he looked to see who was coming. His expression turned to dismay upon seeing the Ashen Wolves leading the group of first-year students. Byleth and Anna were with them.

The noble looked intently at one brown-haired student in particular. He made a leering grin as he watched Dorothea, who stood next to Edelgard.

"At last you've arrived!" Metodey said to the students. "You took your sweet time…"

Aelfric stepped forward as two of the rogues restrained him and said, "My flock! Why have you come?!"

"To save you of course," said Balthus. "You didn't really think we'd just up and abandon you, did ya?"

Constance, who was now in her gloomy state due to the sun still shining down on them, said, "If I may be so bold, we have the chalice you seek. Might I humbly request that you return Aelfric?"

"We have what you want," said Anna. "Show'em, By."

Byleth stepped forward and showed the rogues the Chalice of Beginnings. Aelfric's expression turned to utter surprise.

"You found the chalice?" said Aelfric. "When I told you of it, I never imagined you'd–"

"Shut your mouth, old man," said Metodey.

The blonde noble then made a sneer as he said loudly, "Let's make sure it's not some cheap imitation. Hand it over."

The sound of his voice immediately made Dorothea's eyes widen in shock.

"Wait a second, that voice…" Dorothea gasped.

The noble then made a chuckle as he smugly removed his mask, revealing the face of Clovis von Eadwald.

"Pleased to see me again, dear sister?" said Clovis.

"Clovis?! You're supposed to be in the dungeons in Enbarr!"

Clovis made another laugh and gestured to Metodey as he said, "Well, thanks to my dear friend here, I did not stay long in that rat-infested hellhole."

Edelgard quickly whispered to Hubert, "Hubert, did you know about this?"

"No one told me of him escaping from the dungeons," replied Hubert. "I'll have to have a word with the warden."

"You'll not get the chance, I'm afraid," said Clovis. "Warden Kassan's corpse is decaying in the same cell he locked me away in. My way of 'thanking' him for his hospitality." Turning back to Dorothea, he added, "And thanks to you, my dear sister, House Eadwald was dissolved, and our assets stolen from us. Without that wealth, I cannot make my voyage to Magvel. So, when I learned about this little scheme from my friend here, I sensed an opportunity to recoup my losses."

"You mean by kidnapping Aelfric and stealing from the Church?" Dorothea snapped. "I guess it isn't any different from how you stole from people before!"

"Wait a sec, songbird," said Yuri. "This dirtbag's your brother?"

"Half-brother. His father threw me and my mother out when I wasn't even a day old."

"Yes, well, you know how it is: no Crest, no worth."

"I suppose that goes for you too, doesn't it, Clovis?" said Ingrid, stepping forward with Luin in hand.

"Ah, Ingrid, lovely as always. A shame my sister had to ruin our evening last time. I'd have made you sing in my grasp. Perhaps I'll treat you again."

"You stay the hell away from her, you sleazebag!" Sylvain said angrily.

Metodey let out a short "Hmm?" and then said, "Ah, I knew you looked familiar. You're Miklan's brother, aren't you?"

"What's it to you?"

"He owed me quite a bit of money. I may wish to take it out of your hide instead, Gautier."

"Alright then, enough with the pleasantries," said Clovis as he drew a short sword and held it to Aelfric's throat. "The chalice. Hand it over or the old monk tastes cold steel."

"Not until you hand over the hostage," said Yuri. "There needs to be some degree of a trusting exchange here."

"I can see you don't understand your own predicament," said Metodey as he snapped his fingers, prompting multiple rogues to come out of hiding. "We've no issue with killing the lot of you and taking it either way."

"Well said," said Clovis. "If we're going to be doing it this way, try and take as many of the girls alive as possible. I'm going to need someone to fuck on my way to Magvel."

The students readied themselves for battle, but it was clear they were badly outnumbered. There had to be at least a hundred rogues to their group of thirty-one. And the rogues had them surrounded and with weapons already trained on them.

"I can't tell if these guys' ears are stuffed with wool or if they're just this stupid," said Hapi as she gestured toward Clovis and Metodey.

"I'd guess a little of both," said Dorothea.

"Can't say I'm surprised," said Yuri. "Thugs like this aren't about to show us any gesture of sincerity."

"Yeah, well, I hope you guys have a good plan," said Leonie.

"Yuri! Stand down! Leave me!" said Aelfric. "Take the chalice and flee—you must! It is irreplaceable—you must not hand it to these brigands!"

"Silence, old man!" Clovis snapped.

"Heh. You know us better than that," said Balthus. "We didn't come here without a plan. Do your thing, Hapi!"

Surprised, Hapi said, "Seriously? Right now?"

"Yes, now!"

"Fine, fine, fine."

With that, Hapi let out a loud and very deliberate sigh, much to Aelfric's dismay, as well as to the alarm of the first-year students.

"Oh no, not that!" Annette said worryingly.

As if to answer the orange-haired mage, a large magic circle formed before the group. The brigands were shocked to see the giant form of a Roc appear out of the circle, letting out a loud screech as it spread its wings.

"W-W-What is that thing?!" Clovis said as he immediately began to panic.

Yuri let out a chuckle as he said, "I've gotta say, that sigh of yours never gets old, Hapi."

"Yeah, yeah, glad you like the show," said Hapi. "It's not like it's a gift I asked for."

The Roc swung one of its wings at a group of the rogues, sending several of its feathers like spears to strike down a handful of them. Caught off guard, many of the rogues quickly began to scatter.

"Get back here!" shouted Metodey. "Stand and fight, you cowards!"

The Roc, hearing Metodey's shout, screeched as it took to the air and swooped toward him with its talons poised. Metodey drew a serrated blade from his belt and dodged the Roc's attack as he slashed its leg.

At that moment, Byleth said to Flayn, "Now!"

Flayn gave a nod as she finished her Rescue spell, which surrounded Aelfric in a brief shimmer of light before making him vanish. He reappeared before her a second later.

"Are you well, Brother Aelfric?" asked Flayn as Yuri cut Aelfric's bonds.

"I am unharmed, Flayn," said Aelfric. "Thank you for your aid."

"Don't go thanking us yet," said Yuri. "We've still gotta get out of here."

As the rogues began to fight against the Roc, Clovis saw Aelfric among the students and shouted, "GET THEM, YOU FOOLS! KILL THEM!"

The rogues, having regained their wits, rushed toward the students, who quickly took their positions to fend off their assault. Arrows flew from the students' ranks, striking down several rogues in a matter of seconds before spells from the mages blasted away several more. But there were simply too many of them, and once again the students found their defensive line overrun.

Dorothea let out a shout as, after deflecting a blow from an axe, she spun around and stabbed the rogue in his knee, making him howl in pain before she raised her hand to him. She yanked Joyeuse free and immediately followed up by blasting the man with lightning, sending him to the ground. She then swung around to parry two blows from a sword-wielding rogue and would have parried a third had Ingrid not stabbed the man in his back with Luin. Dorothea then saw Lysithea struggling to keep a ward up as an axe-wielding rogue tried to smash through her defenses. The singer quickly readied a Thunder spell and struck down the rogue before he could sink his axe into the white-haired mage.

Meanwhile, Byleth deftly blocked a strike from one rogue before parrying a blow from a second brigand. She then countered with a slash, extending the Sword of the Creator into its whip form in the same action, causing the blade to rip through the two rogues, their bodies falling to the ground. She immediately returned her sword to its regular state before dodging an arrow, and then countered the attack by throwing a quick fireball at the archer. The archer screamed in agony as he was set ablaze.

But then another archer came out from behind cover and fired his shot. Byleth let out a loud yelp of pain as the arrow struck her left leg, forcing her onto her knee. The archer that hit her was then shot in the neck by Claude.

"Byleth!" Aelfric shouted in concern as he readied a healing spell.

Gritting her teeth, Byleth yanked the arrow out of her leg, allowing Aelfric's magic to mend her wound. Though the spell mended her leg, she still felt the pain from her injury, but there wasn't time to deal with that.

"Thank you, Aelfric," said Byleth.

"Your father would never forgive me if I– GAH!"

Aelfric was cut off mid-sentence as, to Byleth's shock, an arrow struck him squarely in the chest. It was surely a fatal blow.

"Elfie, NO!" Hapi cried out in horror.

The battle became still as the Divine Pulse radiated from Byleth.

"That will not do at all!" said Sothis. "I know you were just wounded, but that man's life is at stake. Well, let this be a lesson to you."

The arrow exited Aelfric's chest as Byleth went back to kneeling. The effects of Aelfric's spell were reversed, and Byleth could now feel the pain of her prior wound return.

Time resumed its flow, and Aelfric's spell once again sealed Byleth's wound, but now she felt the pain twice as intensely as before.

She forced herself through the pain as she spun around to see an archer lining up a shot on Aelfric. The female rogue fired her arrow at Aelfric, but this time the shot was met by the Sword of the Creator, which slashed it out of the air.

Grunting from the pain in her leg, Byleth said, "Get to cover, Aelfric!"

"Yes, of course!" said the monk as he rushed to hide behind a pillar.

Byleth was about to rush at the archer when an arrow from Ignatz struck the woman in the right side of her abdomen, making her scream as she fell to the ground and clutched the wound. Byleth had no time to thank Ignatz before another rogue swung an axe at her, forcing Byleth to block the overhead strike. The impact sent sharp pain through her injured leg, making Byleth hiss as she struggled against her muscular opponent. But as the brigand began chuckling at the thought of burying his axe in her flesh, Byleth swung her right knee into his groin, making the rogue cry out in agony as he released his grip on his axe and cupped his hands between his legs. Byleth followed up with another strike from her right knee, this time hitting the man in his jaw and sending him to the ground on his back, allowing Byleth to finish him with a thrust down into his heart.

On the side, Dorothea saw the brutal kill and could not help being unnerved by it.

Then, the students heard a loud screech as the Roc began to swoop down at them.

"SCATTER!" Byleth shouted.

Seeing the incoming threat, the students and rogues moved to avoid the Roc's talons. It swept into the crowd with incredible speed, knocking aside Felix and Hubert as it landed. Caspar tried to rush in to attack the Roc, but he was struck by the Roc's left wing and sent flying into Hilda, who shrieked as the two were sent to the ground with Caspar on top of the pinkette. Caspar let out a loud groan before he felt a familiar squishy sensation in his right hand, and then looked up to see Hilda blushing at him, his hand once again on her left breast.

"C-Caspar!" Hilda yelped in embarrassment.

"Sorry! Really sorry, Hilda!" Caspar stammered as he quickly removed his hand from her chest. "I didn't mean to–"

Caspar stopped as Hilda hit his head gently with the blunt end of her axe, though it was still enough to hurt.

"Apologize later!"

The Roc made another screech as it swatted two rogues aside with its right wing, sending them smashing into an old stone wall. Annette was about to cast Excalibur at it when she was tripped by another rogue. Before the rogue could stab her in the back with his lance, Dedue barreled in and buried his axe in the rogue's collarbone.

Several arrows then struck the Roc, making it screech in agony before one shot struck inside its mouth and lodged in its brain. The Roc collapsed to the ground, dead.

Seeing the Roc perish and that the rogues were now able to concentrate on them, Yuri shouted to Hapi, "Hapi, do it again!"

"Again?" Hapi said in annoyance. "What do you take me for, a sigh servant?"

"Hapi!"

"Alright, alright, fine!"

Hapi then let out three long, hard sighs, causing three magic circles to emerge. The magic coalesced to reveal two Dire Wolves and another Roc, which quickly went about attacking anyone they could find.

"Are you two nuts?!" shouted Claude. "We've got enough problems already!"

"Dorothea, watch out!" shouted Edelgard upon seeing the Roc lift off from the ground.

Dorothea swung around too late to stop the Roc from grabbing her in its right talon. The singer screamed in terror as she was scooped off the ground and carried into the air.

"Let her go, you dumb bird!" yelped Bernadetta as she drew her bow and fired.

Bernadetta's shot hit the Roc right in its left eye, making it screech in pain as it lurched heavily in the air. Dorothea let out another shriek at being jerked around so suddenly, and she feared the Roc would drop her high above the ground. The world spun and rolled before her eyes as the Roc was hit by several more arrows and tumbled out of the sky.

Dorothea screamed as the Roc crashed to the ground and released her, making her slam into the ground and roll for several meters. Joyeuse let out a clatter as the blade landed next to her.

The singer groaned as she tried to push herself up, her vision swimming before her eyes for a moment and her body aching all over as she grasped Joyeuse again. She then saw someone step in front of her.

A second later, Dorothea yelped as she was delivered a swift kick to her chest, knocking her to the ground on her back. Before she could recover, she let out a painful gasp as Clovis' boot came down on her left breast, pinning her to the ground.

"Going somewhere, sister?" Clovis said nastily.

* * *

_I know it feels cheap that I added Clovis to this chapter, but I wanted more involvement for Dorothea. And what better way than to make her douchebag of a half-brother team up with Metodey?_

_I actually for a bit wanted to replace Metodey with Clovis for this chapter, but I decided to keep them both. Removing Metodey might've helped a bit to make his later presence less egregious, but I decided removing him would've done more harm than good._

_And I know you guys think I'm making Clovis a bit of a cliche evil guy, but seriously, he's got nothing on characters like Ramsey Bolton._


	66. Betrayal

_If you haven't played the Cindered Shadows DLC yet, you might not wanna read the next part. BIG SPOILERS!_

* * *

**Chapter 66 – Betrayal (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea made a loud grunt of pain as Clovis ground his heel on her left breast before leveling his sword to her face.

"I haven't forgotten how you stabbed me in our last encounter, Dorothea," Clovis said with a sneer. "But now that you're like this, I just can't decide whether to return the favor or not. It'd be such a shame to kill someone as beautiful as you, after all."

"F-Flattery will get you nowhere, Clovis," Dorothea hissed as she tried to recover. Joyeuse lay out of her reach, having been kicked away by Clovis.

"On second thought, you're more trouble than you'd be worth. But perhaps Her Highness could help fill the void left by your death."

Dorothea's eyes widened as Clovis looked over at Edelgard, who was busy fending off four of Metodey's bandits at once.

"She certainly doesn't have your voluptuous figure, but–"

"Don't you dare touch her, Clovis!" Dorothea snapped furiously.

Clovis then brought the edge of his blade to Dorothea's chest, positioned to impale her through the heart.

"And what are you going to do to stop me, sister?" he said evilly.

Dorothea's expression turned to terror as she felt the blade's edge touch her skin.

"That's it, that's the expression I'm looking for. I want to see your terror. I want to hear you beg for your life, my dear meddling sibling!"

Dorothea's eyes began to water with fright at being less than an inch from certain death.

A loud screech wiped the smug look off Clovis' face as he turned back toward the Roc that had grabbed Dorothea. It hadn't yet perished from its wounds, and though it was blinded in one eye it could still see Clovis in the other. It let out another screech as it readied itself to attack.

In shock and fear, Clovis raised his blade toward the Roc as he said, "Stay back! S-Stay back, you beast! I said stay – GAH!"

Dorothea had taken the opportunity to grab Clovis' leg and shove it with as much strength as she could muster. It was enough to make him trip, sending the former noble to the ground on his back. Desperate, Dorothea scrambled onto her hands and knees as she made a mad dash to reach Joyeuse. Clovis recovered and raised his blade to strike her but made a loud yelp of terror as the Roc nearly crushed him in its beak.

The singer reached her blade just as Metodey dashed onto the scene, letting out a sinister laugh as he jumped up and drove his serrated blade into the Roc's windpipe. He twisted the blade as it pierced the avian monster's flesh, and then ripped through its neck with brutal force, slashing open a large hole in its throat. The Roc couldn't even let out a proper screech as it flailed for a moment before it slumped over and perished.

"Must I do everything?!" Metodey scowled. "Useless, all of you!"

Clovis then said, "My thanks to you, Me–"

"That goes for you too, Clovis!" Metodey snapped. "What are you waiting for? Just gut your damn sister already and be done with it!"

Dorothea stood shakily as she raised her blade, knowing she was outmatched in a two-on-one fight. Metodey, in particular, showed incredible skill, and Dorothea doubted she could match him. Her body was also still aching from the Roc's crash landing.

It was then that Yuri waltzed onto the scene and said, "Picking on a pretty lady like her? How very much in character for a couple of do-nothing thugs."

Though Clovis was incensed to the point that he could not retort, Metodey made a confident smirk as he said, "So you're the Savage Mockingbird. I'm not impressed."

"If you had any brains, you would be."

Metodey snarled at this insult and then shouted as he dashed like quicksilver toward Yuri, who deftly blocked the assassin's blade. The two then began a clash that quickly carried them away from Dorothea and Clovis.

Seeing an opportunity, Dorothea raised her hand to prepare a spell, but was shocked to see Clovis already charging at her with his sword. She aborted the spell and blocked the strike with Joyeuse, but she staggered back due to her surprise. She barely had a second to recover before Clovis made another strike, forcing her to make another hasty block that made her stumble. Clovis then made a third attack, but this time Dorothea was able to dodge back.

Dorothea held Joyeuse in a defensive stance. She hadn't realized Clovis had such skill with a blade. She thought he had never been the type to actually do his own fighting.

"Not expecting such swordplay, sister?" Clovis said cockily. "The Officers' Academy must be a waste of time if they taught you so poorly!"

Clovis made another rush at her, taking three more quick strikes that Dorothea was forced to parry or avoid. Her mind raced for a way to turn the tables on Clovis, but he was simply attacking too fast, and she couldn't find any openings in his assault.

Then, sharp pain ripped through her as Clovis' blade sliced her left arm. Dorothea let out a shriek as she was wounded, despite that the cut wasn't that serious.

Clovis let out a gleeful laugh at this and said, "Does that hurt, Dorothea? Is my dear sister in pain? That's nothing compared to what I'll do to you next!"

Clovis then readied himself for another attack, but in that split second, Dorothea saw the opening she was looking for. She let out a defiant scream as she slashed Joyeuse at Clovis' head.

The blonde former noble let out an agonizing cry as Dorothea slashed through his left eye.

"AAAGH! AAH! MY EYE! MY EYE, YOU BITCH!" Clovis howled.

Clovis staggered back as he clutched at his face, his hands quickly becoming stained with blood. His breathing was panicked at being so severely wounded. Dorothea saw the fear in his expression, the same as when she had bested him before.

Her half-brother was little more than a dirty coward, even worse than her. Even the slightest threat to him had left him terrified and screaming.

Dorothea raised her left hand to prepare a Thoron spell, intending to end Clovis right then and there.

"Nighty night!" said a familiar voice.

Before Dorothea could even react to it, she was hit by a quick blow to the back of her neck. She let out a gasp of surprise before crumpling over.

Everything went black before she even hit the ground.

…

Byleth let out a shout as she slashed down another brigand. She had sustained a few more cuts in the fighting due to the sheer number of enemies, and her face was now stained with blood.

She briefly looked around at the situation. Many of the bandits were now dead or fleeing from the area, while the two Dire Wolves had been slain. Again, the students had all survived, but Raphael was unconscious after being slammed by one of the Dire Wolves into a wall. Dimitri had taken a sword blow to his right leg, but Marianne was now healing it. Sylvain had taken an arrow to his chest, but his armor had protected him from a lethal injury. Annette had been whacked across the head by a lance shaft and now lay in a daze on the ground. Hapi had similarly been knocked out by one of the bandits who wanted to stop her from summoning any more beasts. Lysithea had been briefly scorched by another mage and was now having second-degree burns treated by Linhardt.

Byleth was relieved to see her students had all once again survived such a perilous battle. The bandits were now in full retreat, as Yuri had just bested their leader, Metodey, who fled the scene in a hurry.

But Dorothea was still unaccounted for. Byleth looked around to try and locate her.

As she did, she suddenly felt herself becoming overwhelmingly weary. It wasn't fatigue, but more like an unstoppable need to fall asleep, accompanied by a strange tingling sensation in her body.

Too late, Byleth realized it had to be some kind of magic.

She looked up to see Edelgard looking toward her with shock on her face.

"Aelfric, what are you doing?!" the princess shouted.

"A-Aelfric…?" Byleth gasped in exhaustion.

She had just enough energy left to try and turn around and, just before her consciousness faded, she saw Aelfric channeling the Sleep spell affecting her.

"W-Why…?"

Byleth slumped to the ground as everything went dark for her.

…

Anna heard Edelgard's shout just in time. As she spun around to look at Aelfric, the battlefield was suddenly pelted by numerous clay urns that shattered as they hit the ground. The urns released an orange smoke across the battlefield. Edelgard was the first to breathe in the smoke and immediately started coughing on it before falling to the ground, unable to move.

Anna knew immediately what it was: a paralyzing poison.

Moving quickly, she grabbed Flayn by the waist and leapt away from the rapidly expanding gas cloud, narrowly avoiding taking in the poison. The green-haired girl, however, had taken in a surprised breath of the poison, and let out a serious of small coughs as Anna brought her to higher ground.

Anna's expression turned to horror as the students were all engulfed by the cloud. One by one, the students choked on the fumes and quickly fell to the ground, unable to move, but still conscious and not in any immediate life-threatening danger.

"What the hell…?" Anna said dreadfully.

She turned her gaze toward Aelfric. The monk had clearly breathed in the fumes as well, but he was unaffected by them. Anna reasoned he had likely inoculated himself already. The monk hadn't noticed her escape from the gas attack, and she saw he now held the Chalice of Beginnings in his hand.

But then she saw another figure still moving in the smoke out of the corner of her eye, so she turned to see who it was.

Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Yuri, also unaffected by the fumes, striding toward Aelfric.

"Beautifully executed, Yuri," said Aelfric. "The chalice is finally mine now. Along with the blood of the Four Apostles."

At that moment, several mages dressed in black and wearing masks emerged from hiding and walked over to the other members of the Ashen Wolves, who looked at Yuri with expressions of utter betrayal.

On the ground, Caspar hissed, "Y-Yuri, y-you d-double-crossing…"

"S-Such t-treachery…!" said Lorenz.

"W-Why are… are you doing this, Yuri?" Mercedes asked tearfully.

As she was dragged toward Aelfric, Constance said, "It seems I was correct… that there was an enemy in our midst. To think our bird was instead a rat."

"You've always had a wild imagination, Constance," said Yuri. "I've got to say, turning your attention elsewhere was a challenge even for me."

Crossly, Aelfric said, "That is enough with the banter, Yuri. I informed you not to divulge too much."

"They'll all be under the dirt soon enough," said Yuri. "It's not like they'll be able to talk at that point. After all I've gone and done for you, Aelfric, I would think you'd have just a bit more faith in me."

Aelfric did not answer this, instead glaring at the lavender rogue.

"Y-Yuri, why…? WHY?!" said Bernadetta as she looked tearfully up at him. She shed even more tears when Yuri looked back at her and did not answer.

"Enough, Yuri. Let us be on our way," said Aelfric.

He then did something that made Yuri's expression show a glint of worry. Aelfric reached down and scooped up Byleth in his arms, letting the Sword of the Creator clatter to the ground from her grip.

"Soon, child, you will be reunited with her," said Aelfric.

As he said this, a series of magical circles surrounded him, his followers, and the Ashen Wolves. A second later, they all vanished in flashes of light as they were warped away.

Anna could only look on helplessly as all this unfolded.

It was then that a large series of footsteps caught Anna's attention, and she whipped around to see a platoon of the Knights of Seiros led by none other than Rhea and Seteth rushing onto the scene.

"No… we are too late," said Rhea as she witnessed the scene.

After a second, the archbishop recomposed herself and began preparing a spell. With a wave of her hand, she sent a strong wind to sweep away the orange smoke that covered the students, clearing them of the poison. But the toxin's effects were still in their bodies and left them unable to move.

Seteth then noticed Flayn in Anna's grip and, terrified, said, "Flayn! Flayn, are you alright?!"

Flayn let out a small cough and said, "Y-Yes, brother. I am unhurt."

Then, to Anna's surprise, the girl stepped away from the merchant, seemingly unaffected by the poison she had inhaled.

"What…?" Anna said silently.

"Flayn, the students!" Rhea said urgently.

"Right! Leave it to me, Lady Rhea."

Flayn turned to the students and began channeling her White Magic, preparing a spell.

As she finished readying her spell, she raised her arms and shouted, "Esuna!", sending cleansing magic into the students. The toxins were quickly purged from their bodies, leaving them groaning as they regained the ability to move.

Groaning as he helped Marianne to her feet, Dimitri said, "Is everyone alright?"

"I'm… gonna have to get back to you on that one," said Claude.

The other students began making similar remarks.

Then, her eyes widening, Edelgard said, "Wait, where's Dorothea?"

"Yuri went after her when that bird snatched her up," said Leonie. Then, her expression filling with dread, she said, "You don't think he…"

Edelgard quickly ran off toward the second Roc's crash site.

"Lady Edelgard, wait!" shouted Hubert as he tried to run after her.

Anna was about to chase after them when Rhea, her voice filled with dread, asked, "Wait. Where is Professor Eisner?"

The students hadn't seen what had happened, so they were silent for a moment.

"He took her…" said Anna, which left the students with expressions of horror. "Aelfric took her with him."

It was the first time the students had ever seen a look of abject fear on Rhea's face.

* * *

_Bet you didn't see this coming, did you?_

_I'm making quite the original twist on the Cindered Shadows DLC here with Byleth being kidnapped too. I know you'll think it messes things up, but you'll learn why I have it this way in the next chapter or two._

_By the way, when the betrayal happens, try playing "Suspicion" from Final Fantasy IV's soundtrack. You'll thank me later._


	67. Hidden Messages

_Since today is Dorothea's birthday (September 29), I'm treating you all to an extra chapter this week! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 67 – Hidden Messages (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea let out a soft moan as Edelgard cradled her in her arms. The Adrestian princess had found the girl unconscious next to the corpse of the second Roc with a minor wound to her left arm but otherwise no serious injuries. Still, Edelgard found herself uncharacteristically worried for the singer's well-being.

"Dorothea? Dorothea, can you hear me?" Edelgard said fearfully.

Dorothea's eyelids fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes, the world spinning before her as briefly saw three Edelgards. Her vision began to refocus as her hearing came back.

"Dorothea? Are you alright?"

"E-Edie…? Ah, Edie!"

Remembering what had just been happening not even five minutes earlier, Dorothea bolted upright and looked around frantically at her surroundings. The battle was over, and the others were gathering in front of Archbishop Rhea.

"W-What happened?" Dorothea asked in confusion.

"I found you unconscious here after… after Aelfric and Yuri betrayed us," said Edelgard.

"Wait, WHAT?!"

Realization hit Dorothea like a sack of rocks, and her expression turned to one of indignant fury.

"That smooth-talking, backstabbing, no-good SCOUNDREL!" she shouted. Swiftly rising to her feet, she then said, "Where's my sword? I'm gonna stick it right in his smug–"

"Dorothea, calm down," said Edelgard. "He's gone. Yuri and Aelfric stole the Chalice of Beginnings and took the other Ashen Wolves as their hostages… as well as Professor Eisner."

All of Dorothea's anger evaporated in an instant upon hearing this.

"Wait, what? P-Professor Byleth?"

"I don't know what the two intend for them, but perhaps it would be best for us to hear what Archbishop Rhea has to say."

Realizing that they couldn't do anything else about the situation, Dorothea gave a reluctant nod and walked over to retrieve Joyeuse.

Then, as she picked it up, she remembered about Clovis and asked, "Hold on, where's Clovis?"

"Long gone, I suspect," said Edelgard. "But we have bigger things to worry about than him. I doubt he'll be back anytime soon."

Dorothea let out an angry sigh at hearing this. Knowing her unscrupulous half-brother was still alive and on the loose did nothing to help her mood.

"Come on, we need to speak with Rhea."

…

"Wake up! Wake up!" Sothis shouted in Byleth's mind as the bluette slowly regained consciousness. "This is no time for a nap! We are in grave peril!"

Byleth's mind was still a haze, but from the sensation of the cold air, she knew she wasn't outside anymore. But it was what she felt next that made her jolt back to an aware state. It was the feeling of metal shackled to her ankles and wrists. Her eyes bolted open and she looked down at herself to see she had been bound to a crucifix by her arms and legs. She thrashed and pulled hard on her restraints in an attempt to break free, but it was to no avail. After a few seconds of thrashing against her bonds, Byleth realized she wasn't going anywhere.

"You are awake," said Aelfric as he emerged from the shadows and walked up to Byleth.

"Aelfric, what is this?" Byleth asked, not showing her feelings of betrayal. "Let me out of this right now!"

"I cannot do that yet, Byleth. I need you to remain where you are while I complete my work."

Realizing what he meant, Byleth said, "You're going to perform the Rite of Rising?"

"Yes, I am. To bring back one precious to both of us. But for your own safety, you must remain where you are. The runes I have inscribed beneath your feet will protect you from the ritual."

Byleth did not believe this and renewed her struggles. As she did, Aelfric stepped up to her and cupped her chin in his hand, stopping her.

"Please, do not force me to harm you, Byleth. Not when she is about to return to me."

"Aelfric, please, let me out! Stop and think about what you're doing!"

"I have had years to think it over, child. And I will not be deterred when I am so close to my goal."

Aelfric then strode away from Byleth as another familiar face walked up to her. Upon seeing Yuri, Byleth could no longer hide an expression that showed how hurt she was by his betrayal.

"Yuri, why are you–"

"Gonna need you to keep it down, Professor," Yuri said coldly before he swung a fist hard into Byleth's solar plexus.

Byleth let out a painful gasp as Yuri knocked the wind out of her and, before she lost consciousness again, the rogue brought himself up to Byleth's ear.

Yuri then said in a whisper, "Can't have you tipping him off…"

Byleth didn't have time to think about what Yuri meant before unconsciousness swallowed her mind once more.

…

The students were now discussing what to do next after hearing Rhea's explanation. Aelfric, as they learned, had brought together the Ashen Wolves with the intent of reenacting the Rite of Rising, presumably to raise someone from the dead. But in order to perform the ritual, he had to be somewhere inside Garreg Mach, as the Chalice only had power within the monastery. The students had been ready to go find Aelfric and Byleth when Alois had returned with news of a massive bandit attack on the monastery town, which they realized had to be a diversion meant to keep the Knights of Seiros from finding Aelfric.

Now the students were gathered back outside their classrooms debating what to do next.

"We shouldn't be wasting time squabbling," said Felix. "Every second we waste could be crucial."

"Yeah, we need to find them already!" said Caspar.

"Caspar, do you have any idea at all where to look?" said Linhardt.

"No, but–"

"Rhea said that the Rite of Rising requires absolute focus on the part of the one performing the ritual," said Edelgard. "That would mean Aelfric would need a place where he is unlikely to be disturbed."

"Well, that could be a lot of places," said Sylvain.

"Maybe we should hear some of your ideas, Sylvain," Ingrid said crossly. "No doubt you have a lot of spots where you take girls for some privacy."

"What? Ingrid, I'm all for a good joke, but is now really the time?"

"Maybe we should head to the dining hall," said Raphael as he nursed a bump on his head from the previous battle.

"The dining hall?" Lysithea asked incredulously. "Why in the world would he try to perform a magical ritual there?"

"Oh, we're talking about where Aelfric is? Nah, nah, I was just thinking we ought to get some grub. I'm starving."

"Now isn't the time to be thinking about food, Raphael," Ignatz said in exasperation.

"Y-Yeah, you're right. Sorry."

"I still can't believe Yuri is helping Aelfric do this," said Ashe.

"Yeah, I mean, isn't his blood needed for this ritual too?" asked Hilda. "Why would he help Aelfric out if it could kill him?"

"Could be he's being blackmailed," said Anna.

"Black mail? What do armor or letters have doing with – err, have to do with this?" said Petra.

"It means that Aelfric must have done something that's forcing Yuri to do what he wants. Of course, that's just me guessing."

"Honestly, Anna, that's a good guess," said Claude.

"Yuri, why would you do this?" Bernadetta sobbed. "You were so nice when we were…" Unable to finish, Bernadetta starting bawling.

"Bernadetta?" Edelgard asked with concern.

Dorothea sat down and placed her hands on Bernadetta's shoulders, which prompted the girl to bury her face in the singer's bountiful bosom.

"Oh, Bern…" Dorothea said as she tried to assure her.

"Is there something about Yuri that you are not telling us, Bernadetta?" said Hubert.

Bernadetta was unable to reply through her sobs, so Dorothea said, "Bernadetta and Yuri met a long time ago as children. At the time, he was the assistant to the gardener at House Varley. But when Count Varley found out about Yuri, he tried to kill him.

"Wait, your dad did that just because you were friends with him?!" Caspar said in shock.

"I am not surprised," said Hubert. "Count Varley has always despised those of common birth."

It was then that the discussion was broken up by Ingrid shouting at Sylvain, "Sylvain, can't you think of anything beyond the next skirt you plan to chase?! Constance and Hapi are our friends, not just someone for you to ogle!"

"Hey, I'm worried about them too, Ingrid!" said Sylvain.

"Sure, you are," Ingrid said sarcastically. "You're probably just worried that if they die, you won't get the chance to date them."

"Do you really think so little of me, Ingrid?!"

As the others looked on at them in exasperation and worry, Dorothea's mind suddenly clicked at something Ingrid had said.

"Wait a second…" Dorothea said as she released her grip on Bernadetta and stood up.

"Dorothea?" asked Dimitri.

"He was trying to tell us something."

"Who are you referring to, Dorothea?" asked Ferdinand.

"Yuri. I thought he was just flirting with me last night, but he… he was telling me and Professor Byleth where to find him."

"You know where they have gone?" asked Lorenz.

"Where is it?" asked Annette.

"Perhaps you should explain what happened last night, Dorothea," said Edelgard.

"Well, I was having a late-night stroll when I ran into Yuri and he asked me out on a date."

"A… date?" Hilda said in confusion.

"I know, it sounds silly, but what he said next was what really puzzled me. He said he wanted me to meet him outside the Holy Mausoleum, and that I had to come after midnight, and not a second earlier."

"The Holy Mausoleum?" Edelgard said incredulously. "It has been under heavy guard ever since the attack that took place during the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth."

"Well, that's what he said to me."

"How are you so sure that was meant to be some kind of message?" asked Lysithea.

"Because he asked Professor Byleth to meet him there too. She told me he made the same offer to her before he made it to me."

"Whoa, Yuri's got game," Sylvain said jokingly.

"I'm certain that Yuri had his reasons for setting up this meeting," said Dimitri. "He took the time to speak with the two of you, however cryptically, before he left."

"A fair point, Your Highness," said Dedue.

"I do wonder why he told you it needed to be after midnight," said Edelgard. "Wouldn't it be better to rush to their aid immediately?"

"That would be the most prudent course of action in this situation," said Hubert. "But perhaps there is something we do not know that calls for such a delayed rescue."

"Yuri's no fool," said Claude. "There's a method to his madness…"

"Well, if we think they're there, we should get ourselves over to the cathedral," said Dorothea.

"I agree," said Flayn. "We must ensure the safety of the Professor and the Ashen Wolves."

The other students gave nods of agreement at this and began to make their way over toward the bridge to the cathedral.

But just as Anna was about to follow behind them, a voice caught her attention.

"Miss Anna? May I have a word with you?" said Rhea.

"Lady Rhea? What's this about?" Anna asked before realizing her lack of manners.

"I need you to head into the village and locate Jeralt."

"Jeralt? Isn't he out on an investigation?"

"He returned today to deliver a report from his investigation and then, as I understand it, went to a local tavern."

"Heh, sounds like him. Always likes to get himself a few pints after a mission."

"If Professor Eisner is Aelfric's prisoner, then I fear only Jeralt is capable of stopping him. Jeralt has known Aelfric from even before Byleth's birth."

"Yeah, that was before I met him. But why ask me to do this? Couldn't Alois or Seteth find him?"

"I fear they may not be quick enough to locate him. But you know Jeralt very well, longer than I suspect you let others believe. And I suspect he will need you beside him to confront Aelfric."

"Umm, okay…"

Seeing Anna was hesitant, Rhea then said, "Please… Do this for us all, Annabelle Sharene Ernest."

Anna made a loud choking gasp at hearing her full name from Rhea's lips.

"How do you know my…"

Rhea said nothing as she looked Anna in the eye, leaving the merchant silent.

Anna then made an exasperated smirk as she said, "You're sharper than I thought, Lady Rhea. To think you knew that much about me." Anna then smiled and said more seriously, "Alright, you got it. I'll find Jeralt as quick as I can."

"Thank you, Anna," Rhea said with a smile, prompting the redhead to dash off.

…

Dorothea nursed her sore left arm as the students stood outside the entrance to the Holy Mausoleum. The guards that had been stationed there had been found unconscious, propped up against the walls to make it look like they were still on duty. It left them without any doubts as to Aelfric's hiding place.

Now all they had to do was wait for midnight. Understandably, this left everyone on edge, and several of them did not want to wait.

"Dorothea? Are you sure we should be waiting here?" asked Edelgard. The princess was holding the Sword of the Creator in her hands. Thankfully, the sword had not reacted to her.

"Yuri said not to come down before midnight," said Dorothea. "There has to be a good reason for that."

She then looked back and saw the looks on the other students' faces. They were all beset with worry over Byleth's safety.

She then said, "Hey, guys, think about it. It's not just Yuri and the Ashen Wolves we're hoping to save here. It's Professor Byleth too. We've put so much faith in her these past six months, so we can't let her down now!"

The students, stirred by Dorothea's words, all began to voice their agreement, prompting a smile from Edelgard as she looked at her close friend.

Then, a gruff voice of authority said, "I'm glad you all think so highly of my daughter."

Surprised, the students turned to see Jeralt and Anna walking up to them.

"Captain Jeralt!" Leonie said enthusiastically.

"Sir Jeralt, why are you here?" asked Dimitri.

"Anna told me the situation," said Jeralt. "If Aelfric's holding Byleth as his hostage, then he's got a lot to answer for."

"Yeah," said Anna. "If he's harmed a hair on By's head, he'll be in for a world of hurt."

"Wait, does this mean Sir Jeralt's going to be leading us?" Bernadetta asked with a hint of concern.

"That's the idea," said Jeralt. "I'm sure Byleth's been teaching you all very well, but I taught her just about everything she knows about tactics."

As the students were left fired up and ready to go, Jeralt began to outline his battle plan.

* * *

_I'll bet you're all more curious about Anna now, aren't you? Well, you'll have to wait until the next Moon in order for her backstory to get the spotlight._

_When Cindered Shadows was made, I was honestly disappointed by the lack of Jeralt's presence. Maybe IS thought his involvement would be too big a can of worms or something. Well, now I plan to change that!_

_These next parts are going to be tricky for me to navigate, so wish me luck._


	68. The Umbral Beast

_This is where I'm taking a significant deviation from the game's events. I'll explain why after the chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 68 – The Umbral Beast (Red Wolf Moon)**

The sounds of tearing flesh and the screams of men and women below immediately told the students something was dreadfully wrong as they advanced down into the Holy Mausoleum. As they neared the bottom of the stairwell, they saw a panicked man attempting to flee the area, being pursued by some sort of red tentacle that impaled him through his back. The tendril then ripped back, pulling the man screaming into the darkness.

Terrified, Annette said, "What was THAT?!"

"Something has gone dreadfully wrong," said Edelgard. "Are we too late?"

"Stay alert, everyone," said Jeralt as he readied his lance. "I'll take point."

"Right behind you, Jeralt," Anna said grimly.

The students, despite now being quite unnerved by what might be awaiting them, followed the Blade Breaker and the Secret Seller into the Holy Mausoleum. Once inside, they were met by a chilling sight.

In the center of the chamber, the Ashen Wolves had been freed from their bonds. All around there were corpses of Aelfric's followers, most having been killed by what was clearly the Rite of Rising gone wrong. Aelfric himself was nowhere to be seen. Far in the back, they could see Byleth strapped to a crucifix. She was untouched by the rampaging ritual, but she was also unconscious.

In the center of the Holy Mausoleum was a large crimson cocoon, disturbingly alike the one that Miklan had been in during his transformation into a Black Beast. Along the surface of the cocoon looked to be veins that pulsated as more blood was introduced to it. Several red tentacles were extending from it, skewering several of the bodies of Aelfric's followers and draining them of their blood.

The very sight of it caused Bernadetta to instantly faint. Fortunately, she was caught by Ignatz and dragged back to safety.

"What the hell is that thing?" said Leonie.

Hearing Leonie's voice, Balthus turned to the students and said, "Hey, could use a hand here, guys!"

The King of Grappling was bound by several tendrils around his arms and legs, and he struggled hard to break free. One of the tendrils had impaled his leg and was draining his blood from it. Meanwhile, Yuri was trying to pull one out of his left arm but was forced to slash through several more that lashed out at him.

Constance let out a shrill scream as several of the tentacles wrapped themselves around her waist, arms, and legs, her high-waist skirt torn apart to expose her legs. She made another yelp as one of them ended up coiling tightly around her right breast, squeezing it before sinking its tip into her chest, and her cries of embarrassment turned to those of pain as it began sucking out more of her blood.

"COCO!" Hapi screamed.

The redhead was about to fire a Miasma Δ spell at the tentacles when another lashed out and wrapped itself around Hapi's neck, choking her as it raised her off the ground. She too had a tendril skewer her a second later, this one choosing to stab her in the left side of her waist.

Flayn was the first to act, shouting out, "Help me Rescue them!"

The green-haired cleric began readying her spell, prompting Mercedes, Linhardt and Marianne to channel their Mana to her. Flayn's spell was ready within moments, surrounding the Ashen Wolves in white light before making them vanish. The Wolves reappeared before the students, with each one groaning in pain as Hapi coughed loudly and held her neck. But to the dismay of the students, Byleth had not been warped alongside them. Thankfully, the cocoon's tendrils seemed to be slowing their movement, and did not lash out toward the students. Mercedes, Linhardt and Marianne immediately went about healing the Ashen Wolves of their wounds.

"P-Perfect timing, you guys," said Yuri as he staggered to his feet. He then looked at Dorothea as he said, "Glad to see you got the message, songbi–"

Yuri was cut off as Dorothea slapped him as hard as she could.

"Look at what you've done, you scoundrel!" Dorothea snapped.

"Ow… Guess I deserved that…"

"Hey, leave some of him for us, Dorothea," said Balthus as he rose to his feet. "Yuri's got a lot to answer for."

"Agreed!" hissed Constance. "I am thoroughly incensed by his treachery!"

"Goes for me too," Hapi wheezed as Linhardt continued healing her.

"You'd better have a good reason for all of this, Yuri," Anna said crossly.

"Had no choice," said Yuri. "Aelfric was threatening people I care for. My mother, those in Abyss, and so forth. If I didn't help him with his plan, he'd have killed them all. Couldn't tell anyone about it either." Yuri then looked back at the red cocoon and said, "And now look what it's got him."

"Wait a second, that THING is Aelfric?!" Lysithea said in surprise.

"He started the ritual too early. Got scared once he realized I was trying to derail his plans."

"Wait, weren't you helping him?" asked Ingrid.

"I've been working for Lady Rhea for a while now, even before I met Aelfric. She knew he was up to something and had me report in on his activities. I had to make sure I didn't tip him off, so…"

"You played the role of a double-agent," said Lorenz.

"You know, you could've trusted us," said Sylvain. "We could've helped you out."

"I hate to break up the confession, but we've got bigger problems right now," said Claude. "Professor Eisner is still over there and whatever that thing is, it's getting bigger."

"Flayn, why did you not warp her to us?" asked Dimitri.

"I'm sorry, but something is binding her to that spot," said Flayn. "Likely whatever spell is keeping her safe from that cocoon."

"That'd be Aelfric's handiwork," said Yuri. "He knew Professor Eisner could get in his way, so he took her when he got his hands on the chalice. But he didn't want her to be harmed either, as far as I could tell."

"Why would he do that?" asked Mercedes.

Edelgard then asked, "Yuri, who is it Aelfric was trying to resurrect?"

It was at this moment that the group heard several tearing sounds coming from the cocoon. The tendrils writhed as they were drawn back into the cocoon.

"That doesn't sound good," said Anna as she drew her Levin Sword. The others readied themselves as well.

The cocoon started to burst open. A massive front claw came first, followed by a wing with exposed bone and sinew. A long reptilian tail followed suit, with large pulsating red veins strewn across its surface.

Finally, the cocoon exploded, sending torrents of blood in all directions.

"SITRIIIIIIII!" cried the Umbral Beast.

The students were petrified by the sight of the monster that had once been Aelfric Dahlman. It was massive, more than twice the size the Black Beast had been. Its body looked as though something had ripped off all its skin, exposing its muscle and bone. Large red pulsating veins were strewn across its body. A large red mane of hair surrounded its head, which for a moment bore Aelfric's face, albeit a horribly mutilated effigy of the old monk's countenance.

The Umbral Beast turned toward the students and immediately saw Jeralt, who grimaced at the sight of his old friend turned into a monster.

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME!" the Umbral Beast bellowed.

Then, in a sight that made the students want to vomit, the flesh of Aelfric's face seemed to melt, revealing a horned grey skull beneath. Then, the sinew around what would've been the beast's chest began to shift and warp as something came out of it. It was the body of a woman, pristine in her beauty with long green hair, yet she looked lifeless as a doll. The woman's body was held in place to the Umbral Beast's chest by its twisted form.

Jeralt's expression immediately filled with sorrow as he said, "Sitri…"

"Sitri?" Dorothea said aloud. "Wait, isn't that… Professor Byleth's mother?!"

"Yes, it's her." Jeralt's expression and tone turned grim as he said, "Aelfric, what have you done?"

"You mean to say that Aelfric was attempting to resurrect your wife, Sir Jeralt?" asked Dimitri.

"How deplorable," said Ferdinand. "Did he intend to take her for himself?"

"Hey, guys, it's doing something!" said Hapi.

Indeed, the veins lining the Umbral Beast began to swell and bubble with blood, releasing several bloody orbs that hit the floor of the Holy Mausoleum. The orbs began to reform, taking human shapes as they coalesced into bloody effigies of both Aelfric and Sitri.

"By the Goddess…" said Constance in a tone of fear.

"Flame Spirit, protect us," said Petra.

The Umbral Beast let out another roar, sending the blood clones forward to attack the students.

"Captain Jeralt, what do we do?!" Leonie said as she readied her lance.

Dorothea looked to the Blade Breaker apprehensively, knowing he had to be taking what they were seeing worse than the others.

Jeralt tightened his grip on his lance as he said, "Take them down. They aren't really Aelfric or Sitri. Don't hold back against them. Anna, take Dorothea and get Byleth. Leonie, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, you're with me."

The Blade Breaker then let out a battle cry as he rushed forward and, despite his remorse, lunged through the heart of one of the Sitri clones. The clone emotionlessly shuddered for a moment before it disintegrated into a pool of blood.

The students followed suit, rushing out to meet the blood clones, which began attacking them with either White Magic or Anima spells.

Before she could go after Jeralt, Edelgard made a brief yelp as Anna slipped up to her and snatched the Sword of the Creator from Edelgard's right hand.

"Huh?! Wait, Anna!" Edelgard said in surprise. "You mustn't–"

"Don't worry, Edelgard, I'm not gonna turn into a monster like Aelfric did," said Anna. The redhead then said, "Dorothea, follow me!"

Dorothea gave an affirmative nod as she ran behind Anna, who slashed through a clone of Aelfric with her Levin Sword.

Edelgard was briefly surprised. The Sword of the Creator had not reacted negatively toward the merchant. Did that mean Anna had a Crest?

"Lady Edelgard!" shouted Hubert, alerting her to one of the Aelfric clones about to throw a fireball at her.

Edelgard, cursing herself for being distracted, dove away from the attack just in time. She then rushed at the clone of Aelfric and let out a shout as she buried her axe in the clone's brain. The clone broke apart into a bloody pool as it was destroyed.

On the left side, Felix let out a loud shout as he beheaded one of the Sitri clones. As he slashed away a splash of blood from his sword, he turned to look at the Umbral Beast. To his and the others' dismay, more balls of blood burst from its body, creating more clones.

"It's making more of them!" shouted Hilda. "Ugh, could this thing be any more of a pain?!"

"Just keep taking them down!" shouted Sylvain as he struck down another clone with the Lance of Ruin.

"If we don't stop that thing, they'll never stop coming!" said Raphael as he punched down another clone.

As the students fought with the clones, Jeralt and Leonie rushed in toward the Umbral Beast. Leonie's eagerness led her to attack first, stabbing the Umbral Beast in its front left leg, but the strike had little effect. Surprised, Leonie made a loud yelp as the Umbral Beast swung its leg forward, sending her flying back. Jeralt caught her as she slammed into him.

"Don't be reckless, Leonie!" said Jeralt. "We don't know what this thing's capable of, so take it slow and careful."

"R-Right, Captain Jeralt," Leonie said bashfully.

An arrow from Claude struck the Umbral Beast's neck, doing little to harm it. Dimitri made another attack with his lance, and again the blow did minimal damage. The Umbral Beast retaliated as several new red tendrils burst from its body and attempted to stab Dimitri, but the prince was able to avoid the attack and skillfully slashed through the tendrils with his lance.

As the others battled the Umbral Beast and its minions, Anna and Dorothea rushed up to Byleth, who was still unconscious. But as they reached her, the bluette suddenly began to stir.

"Professor?" Dorothea said in concern. "Professor Byleth, are you alright?"

Anna went to work unlocking Byleth's restraints as the bluette's eyes fluttered open. She immediately saw the two before her.

"D-Dorothea? Anna?" Byleth moaned.

Still woozy, Byleth had to wait for Anna to release her bindings as she looked over at the battlefield, her vision not yet focused. As she watched the others through blurry eyes, she thought she saw something like red snakes slithering through the air.

Too late, she realized what was coming, and before she could shout out a warning, several of the Umbral Beast's tentacles had speared Anna through the back.

"ANNA!" Dorothea screamed in horror.

The look of shock on Anna's face froze as time ground to a halt.

"What in the world is that thing?!" said Sothis. "Whatever it is, it is clear we must stop it, and we cannot have Miss Anna dying at this point!"

Byleth could only wind back a short distance. The tendrils darted back through the air toward the Umbral Beast. Byleth's arms were forced back into her restraints.

The flow of time resumed its flow, and once again Byleth's vision and mind were a blur. But at least this time she knew what was coming.

Byleth looked up through her blurred eyes to see the red tendrils readying themselves to strike Anna.

"Look out!" Byleth shouted in alarm.

Dorothea was the one to react first, turning to see the red tendrils poised to strike at them. Immediately the singer raised a hasty ward to counter the attack, as Anna was too focused on freeing Byleth from her restraints. As the tendrils slammed into the ward, Dorothea let out a shriek as the ward shattered instantly, though it was enough to stop them from hitting Anna.

Then, Byleth's blood turned cold as she saw the tendrils suddenly writhe before swiftly wrapping themselves around Dorothea's body.

"AH! Let go! Let – AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Dorothea let out an earsplitting scream of terror as the tendrils suddenly pulled back, lifting her off her feet and making her drop Joyeuse as she was sent careening into the body of the Umbral Beast. Upon colliding with the monster's body, Dorothea suddenly felt something that filled her with utter panic.

It was drawing her into its body.

"No! NO! NOO! HELP! HELP ME!"

Dorothea continued to scream for help as more tendrils began wrapping around her, her left arm outstretched to try and escape, desperately hoping someone would pull her free. But to her despair, she continued to be pulled deeper into the Umbral Beast's body.

She let out one last scream of terror before the Umbral Beast wrapped its tentacles around her left arm and she was pulled completely into its body.

* * *

_Damn me and my cliffhangers, right?_

_I chose to have Aelfric turn into the Umbral Beast earlier than in the DLC because of Jeralt's presence. Having him see Sitri's body in pristine condition before the ritual was done would've been very hard to write, as he'd have learned things too early from Rhea (which in turn would've led to Byleth learning too much too early)._

_Also, just so you know, I'm having the Umbral Beast's whole "spatial-distortion" attack removed in favor of its tentacle-based attacks. And though tentacles are my favorite hentai niche, I don't plan on being too raunchy at any point in this fight (Constance got it enough). I also added in the Umbral Beast creating Sitri clones as a way to make the battle feel darker. Sorta gave it a SMT: Persona 4 vibe._

_And as for what will happen to Dorothea? Well, you'll find out next chapter._


	69. Return to Me

_I know, I know, a few cliches will happen here. And there's going to be a few things really grossing you out. But please, just enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter 69 – Return to Me (Red Wolf Moon)**

As Dorothea let out her final scream before being sucked into the Umbral Beast's body, Byleth looked on at the horrific sight with an expression of utmost shock and fear. Desperately, she reached again for the power of the Divine Pulse, not caring when Sothis had to remind her that she couldn't use it again so soon. The power did not respond, leaving Byleth trembling as Anna finished releasing her from the crucifix and handed the Sword of the Creator back to her. The bluette didn't even take the blade in hand immediately when Anna prompted her.

The Umbral Beast let out another terrible roar as it released several more tentacles, which shot out at random toward the students. The students immediately swung away at the approaching attack with their weapons, but the sheer volume of tendrils caused many to get through.

Marianne let out a scream of terror as several tentacles wrapped around her waist and arms and began to pull her toward the Umbral Beast. Caspar made several defiant grunts as he struggled against two tendrils that snared his left arm. Ingrid shrieked in panic as Luin was flung from her grasp and she was lifted into the air by three tendrils around her waist. Annette was shoved out of the way by Mercedes, who cried out in embarrassment and fright as the tentacles that snared her wrapped around her enormous chest, squeezing her breasts tightly. Claude yelped in surprise as his right leg and left arm were grabbed despite his attempts to dodge.

The others immediately responded to such a threat. Sylvain slashed the Lance of Ruin at the tentacles holding Ingrid in the air, immediately severing the Umbral Beast's hold on her. She let out a yelp as she fell, but Sylvain swiftly caught her in his arms. Annette fired a Cutting Gale at the ones holding Mercedes and sliced them apart, much to the blonde's relief. More tentacles then tried to attack both of the girls, but these were intercepted by a Sagittae spell from Constance. Hilda smashed through the ones holding Caspar, but the tendrils then quickly sought purchase with the pinkette, wrapping around her left leg and tripping her. Hilda let out a shriek of terror before Balthus ran over, grabbed Hilda's axe, and slashed the tentacles holding the buxom girl. Meanwhile, just before he was lifted off his feet, Claude let out a gasp of surprise as Petra swiftly slashed through the tendrils binding him. The heir of Riegan gave the Princess of Brigid a thankful smile.

Dimitri heard Marianne scream as she was yanked off her feet and sent careening toward the Umbral Beast. Immediately he leapt up and slashed his lance through the tendrils holding her. Marianne shrieked as her momentum was slowed, but she still ending up flying right into the Prince of Faerghus, sending the two of them to the ground in a heap.

Recovering, Dimitri groaned, "M-Marianne, are you alright?"

"I-I think so…" was all Marianne could manage to say as she blushed fiercely at being saved again by him.

Then, a loud shout of defiance from Jeralt led to the students looking at the Blade Breaker and had them almost panic as they saw he was being bound by no less than six tendrils. Yet despite such odds, Jeralt was managing to hold his ground, refusing to budge against their pull.

Leonie made a loud shout as she slashed her lance, severing two of the six tentacles before another one slammed into her gut, knocking her away from Jeralt. A second later, a blur of red hair and an arc of electricity slashed through the remaining tendrils as Anna freed Jeralt from the Umbral Beast's grip.

"Thanks, Anna," said Jeralt.

"Don't thank me yet!" Anna replied as she jumped back to avoid another tentacle strike.

Jeralt slashed through another three tendrils before letting out a shout and delivering a hard thrust to the Umbral Beast's right leg. His strength, combined with a bright shimmer of the Major Crest of Seiros, led to the blow causing a large gash in the Umbral Beast's leg, to which it roared in pain. The beast turned its full attention to Jeralt and let out a roar as it raised its leg to try and crush him.

In that moment, Byleth entered the fray, sending the whip-like Sword of the Creator forward to slash at the Umbral Beast's left side, the same area where it had drawn Dorothea into its body. The glowing blade sliced through the beast's sinew with ease, making it release another roar of agony.

But as Byleth began readying for another strike, she saw something that made her eyes widen as she let out a gasp. It was only for a moment, but she could see several locks of Dorothea's brown hair within the sinew of the Umbral Beast's body.

"Dorothea!" Byleth shouted. "She's still alive! We have to get her out!"

"Flayn, try and Rescue her!" shouted Claude.

Flayn immediately tried to cast her spell but after a few seconds the spell fizzled out.

"It's not working!" she said in dismay. "The beast is disrupting the spell!"

"What do we do?!" Annette said fearfully.

"We blast away at this abomination until it yields to our might!" shouted Constance as she readied Agnea's Arrow.

"Coco, what if we hit her too?" Hapi said as she blasted away another Sitri clone.

Before Constance or anyone else could say anything, Byleth said, "Concentrate your attacks on its head and wings! Hit it with everything you've got all at once! Give me an opening to get her out of there!"

"You got it, By!" said Anna as she placed her palm flat against the blade of her Levin Sword, preparing to fire lightning from it while the others immediately readied their best attacks.

The Umbral Beast then let out a loud roar as the veins along its neck began to bulge, as though a swell of blood had begun to travel up them toward its head. The students knew it was preparing some kind of new attack.

Byleth knew she couldn't give it the chance to do so.

As the blood neared the Umbral Beast's skull, Byleth shouted, "NOW!"

The students all unleashed their attacks. Swords, lances and axes and gauntlets all slashed and pounded at the Umbral Beast's legs and wings in unison. A hail of arrows from the archers each hit the Umbral Beast's neck, while spell after spell began bombarding the Umbral Beast as it let out an agonizing screech, its attack disrupted.

Byleth shouted as she retracted the Sword of the Creator and leapt at the Umbral Beast, delivering a powerful strike to its left torso before she landed on it. A huge gash was opened in the Umbral Beast's side, letting out an enormous spill of blood, and Byleth could immediately see Dorothea within the wound she had made. The brunette had lost consciousness, and several tentacles were lashed around her in a vile display. Her body was soaked red with blood.

"DOROTHEA!"

Byleth reached in to grab the girl by her left arm and began to pull as hard as she could, struggling against the Umbral Beast's grip. In response to this, more tentacles surged out and began to wrap themselves around Byleth's body, threatening to pull her in alongside Dorothea. Byleth let out several defiant cries as she struggled not just to pull Dorothea out, but also to keep herself from being sucked in.

Just then, a magical whirlwind began to rip and tear at the tentacles binding Byleth's body. The Excalibur spell was immaculately precise, not landing a single cut on Byleth while also ripping apart the tentacles that were rooting Dorothea in place. Byleth looked in surprise at the entrance to the Holy Mausoleum and saw, to both her shock and the surprise of everyone else in the chamber, that the spell had been cast by Archbishop Rhea.

"Now, child!" shouted Rhea.

Byleth immediately reached forward and wrapped her arm around Dorothea's torso, which was now far more exposed within the Umbral Beast's wound. The bluette let out a loud shout as she pulled as hard as she could. Seconds later, the Umbral Beast's grip on Dorothea was lost, and Byleth let out a howl as the force of her pull sent both her and Dorothea flying clear of the monster's body. The two crashed to the ground, but only Byleth made any sort of painful yelp at the rough landing. Meanwhile, Dorothea landed on the ground on her side and, to the concern of the others, remained motionless.

As the Umbral Beast began to shriek and writhe in pain from the combined assault it had just sustained, Rhea shouted to Jeralt, "Jeralt, you must remove Sitri's body from the Umbral Beast! Without her, it cannot maintain its form!"

Jeralt did not reply to this and, with grim determination, charged forward.

The Umbral Beast saw this and shouted, "NO! STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

A flurry of new tentacles came out of the Umbral Beast's body and lunged toward Jeralt, these ones with the intent to skewer him. This attack was intercepted by Anna, who let out a loud shout as she slashed rapidly at the oncoming assault. She was soon joined by Dimitri, Edelgard, Leonie and Yuri, all who slashed through the tentacles as rapidly as they could. Marianne also let out a cry as she cast a Blizzard spell, freezing several of the tentacles solid and causing them to shatter.

But there were simply too many. Jeralt let out a series of painful grunts as he was struck in his shoulders and legs.

"Captain Jeralt!" Leonie screamed with concern.

Jeralt let out another shout as he slashed through the tendrils that had pierced him. His wounds then immediately began healing as Rhea and Flayn both began to channel healing magic toward him.

The Umbral Beast realized Rhea's presence then, and shouted, "RHEAAAAA!"

The tendrils immediately changed their target, and they rushed like lightning toward the Archbishop.

"Rhea, watch out!" Flayn shouted as she ran in front and raised a ward.

The combined assault was too much for Flayn to handle. Her ward shattered after several strikes, following by a tendril slamming into her and sending her into a wall.

"Flayn!"

Rhea then let out a gasp of surprise as the tentacles began to encircle her body. Her ample chest, waist, arms and legs were all bound, with three of them wrapping tightly around her neck. The others, preoccupied either with more tentacles or with the blood clones, could not assist her.

"DIIIIIEEEEE, RHEAAAAA!" the Umbral Beast shouted.

At that moment, Jeralt reached Sitri's body. He wrapped his left arm around her waist, and with a loud shout, he pulled back hard.

The Umbral Beast screeched in agony as it felt Sitri's body being torn from it. It looked down and, too late, shouted, "NO! NOOOOO!"

With the sound of flesh being ripped and torn, Jeralt pulled Sitri's body from the Umbral Beast's chest.

The Umbral Beast's grip on Rhea immediately slackened, leading her to cough loudly for breath as the tentacles fell away from her body. The monster then began to shriek loudly, as though every fiber of its being were in agony as it thrashed around. The bulging veins lining its body began to shrivel, the sinew that comprised its body began to decay, and its bones began to crumble. The Umbral Beast's body simply broke down now that Sitri's body had been removed. And throughout the Holy Mausoleum, much like the beast itself, the blood clones of Sitri and Aelfric began to break apart, leaving pools of blood where they had once been.

Within a half-minute, the Umbral Beast crumbled away, revealing a blood-soaked Aelfric where it had been. The students immediately watched him with apprehension, knowing this was the real Aelfric and not some copy. The black-haired monk held the Chalice of Beginnings in his hands, the cup now emptied of blood.

Everyone watched him warily as he began to stumble slowly toward Jeralt, who held Sitri's body in his arms.

"J-Jeralt, please, give her to me," said Aelfric. "I… I can still bring her back… I can still make her return to–"

Aelfric's words stopped as Jeralt's lance pierced through his heart, knocking the Chalice of Beginnings from his grasp. The golden cup broke into pieces as it landed on the floor of the Holy Mausoleum. Aelfric trembled for a moment before looking down and realizing he had just been fatally stabbed by his old friend.

"Leave her be, Aelfric," Jeralt said grimly, not even looking up at him as he spoke. "Let her rest in peace."

Aelfric let out a painful gasp as Jeralt pulled his lance out of the monk's chest. He staggered back a few steps as he looked down at his body, which was beginning to turn red all over as his skin began to liquify.

Then, Aelfric took one last look at Jeralt and Sitri as he said, "I'm… I'm so… I…"

Aelfric didn't even slump over before his body simply melted, leaving behind only his robes and a large pool of blood where he once stood.

The revolting sight was enough that Linhardt vomited right on the spot, and the rest of the students were left sickened to their stomachs.

"Elfie…" Hapi said mournfully.

"Damn, what a shitty way to go," said Balthus.

As the others were left either disgusted or mourning for Aelfric's sorry end, Edelgard looked over toward Byleth and Dorothea. To Edelgard's horror, Dorothea was unmoving, and Byleth was now with her hands to the singer's chest, compressing it with a look of absolute terror on her face.

Edelgard had never seen Byleth so scared before.

"Dorothea! Dorothea, don't die on me!" Byleth said frantically. "Come on, breathe! Breathe, Dorothea! BREATHE!"

Dorothea did not move outside of Byleth's chest compressions. Byleth could feel the girl's heartbeat, but she wasn't breathing.

The bluette, still soaked in blood, leaned forward and placed her lips over Dorothea's mouth, trying to breathe air into the girl's blood-filled lungs, ignoring the coppery taste of blood.

Nothing happened…

Byleth gave Dorothea another several chest compressions.

Nothing happened…

Byleth brought her mouth again to Dorothea's lips and breathed as much air as she could into the girl's lungs.

Nothing happened…

Again, Byleth said, "Please, Dorothea, wake up! WAKE UP!" as she compressed the singer's chest several times again.

Nothing happened…

The others looked on in fright and worry as Byleth again engulfed Dorothea's lips in her mouth and breathed deeply into the girl.

Suddenly, Dorothea's body lurched, and she made a loud choking noise within Byleth's lips. Her eyes shot wide open, immediately met with the image of Byleth seemingly kissing her.

And then Dorothea felt the blood from the Umbral Beast that was still inside her lungs, and she began convulsing as her lungs tried to expel it.

Byleth removed herself from Dorothea's lips as the singer began to release a series of loud retching coughs, spitting out blood as she gasped desperately for air.

Relief washed over Byleth as she realized Dorothea would live.

Dorothea's mind took nearly fifteen seconds to catch up before she realized what had happened to her. She looked at Byleth, whose face was both terrified and relieved.

"P-P-Professor…" Dorothea gasped before letting out another choking cough.

A second later, Dorothea burst into tears as Byleth embraced her.

"It's okay, it's okay…" Byleth said reassuringly to her.

The others watched with relief as Dorothea sobbed in Byleth's arms.

"It's okay, it's over…" Byleth said to her.

And as the others watched them, Rhea turned as Jeralt approached her with Sitri in his arms.

"Jeralt…" Rhea said, her tone one of uncharacteristic fear.

Jeralt stared at her without a word. Rhea slowly backed away from him, knowing she had much to answer for.

"You owe me an explanation, Rhea," Jeralt said to Rhea.

"Y-Yes… Yes, I do…"

Edelgard looked over at the two, surprised to see Rhea so afraid of Jeralt at that moment, even as Jeralt slowly walked past her with Sitri's unliving body in his arms.

The princess then looked to what remained of Aelfric, and to the shattered remains of the Chalice of Beginnings, before looking back at the two she cared for most.

* * *

_You know, this actually isn't the first time I've used mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as a way to sneak in a kiss in a fanfic. ;)_

_Getting Rhea involved against the Umbral Beast kinda made sense. The fact that she didn't help out in the DLC during that fight honestly felt like her being too uncaring. I know she's actually like this, but it felt a bit out of character for her to not help Byleth out in battle while she was around._

_One of the previous reviews pointed out that Aelfric shouldn't have lashed out first at Dorothea due to her lack of involvement. You should instead think of it as him just lashing out at everyone, and that Dorothea got really unlucky that she was snared first. And others have pointed out that I'm putting her through too much hell. Unfortunately, that's not the end of it for her; she still got a lot more trauma to go through. But I view her ability to go through such trauma and still come out of it beautiful as a rose as one of her most endearing qualities. But don't worry, I also plan to give her several chapters where she's having a good time (not necessarily the next one, though)._

_And just so you all know, this will be around when I'm gonna start making things a bit more romantic between Dorothea and Byleth. Not TOO romantic, as they're still teacher and student (awkward connotations and all that), but still, it'll be a start._

_And I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help putting in a bit of fanservice. Sorry, but with tentacles, it's kind of an expectation for me._ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	70. Uncomfortable Truths

_Wow, the Cindered Shadows arc has been long, but I guess it's finally over._

* * *

**Chapter 70 – Uncomfortable Truths (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea shivered as she sat alone in her room. It had been a few days since the battle in the Holy Mausoleum, and the first signs of frost were beginning to show at Garreg Mach, but the temperature had little to do with her shaking.

The singer had curled herself up on her bed and now had her face pressing against her knees. Having narrowly escaped death for a fifth time in less than three months was not doing anything good for her self-esteem.

"Dorothea? Are you there?" asked a familiar voice.

"Come in," Dorothea said in a subdued tone.

Byleth took this invitation to enter her room.

The sight of the singer in such a depressed state left Byleth with an expression of worry. Following the battle against Aelfric, the students had been given a week off from studying and training in order to recover from their ordeal, but Byleth knew Dorothea was going to need some additional help.

"How are you feeling?" Byleth asked, knowing she had to get to the heart of the matter.

"Miserable," said Dorothea. "I mean, how would you feel knowing you almost got sucked into a giant monster?"

Not answering Dorothea's rhetorical question, Byleth said, "Look, if you need anything, just ask, okay? And not just me, but the others too. They're worried about you."

This made Dorothea perk up a little as she asked, "Th-They are?"

Byleth nodded in reply.

Dorothea let out a little sniffle as she said, "Thank you, Professor Byleth. It really means a lot to me hearing that." The singer then let out a sigh before she added, "You know, when I first came to the Officers' Academy, I didn't think I'd be having so many near-death encounters. But… but in the past three months, I've been in no less than five instances where I saw my life flash before my eyes." She let out a sob as she said, "Why does this have to happen to me, of all people?"

Byleth took a moment to let Dorothea cry a bit more before she said, "I'm sorry."

"W-What for?"

"I'm sorry I keep putting you through all this. I–"

"Professor, it's not your fault."

"I know that. But I'm still responsible, as your teacher, for keeping you safe. I feel like… like I've let you down."

Dorothea looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes. To her surprise, Byleth looked as though she were devastated by her own words. But unlike Dorothea, she wasn't crying.

The brunette then inched over toward Byleth on her bed and cupped Byleth's hands in her own, prompting the teacher to look her in the eye.

"You haven't let me down at all, Professor," Dorothea said with a smile. "Really, I'm so grateful to you for everything you've done for me."

"D-Dorothea…"

Then, as if the mood in the room had completely changed, Dorothea said, "Besides, I can't think of anybody else who could save my life with a kiss."

Dorothea winked at Byleth as the bluette's cheeks went pink.

"Th-Th-That wasn't a kiss!" Byleth stammered. "That was mouth-to-mouth–"

"I know, I just wanted to see you get all flustered."

"Dorothea…!"

Byleth continued to blush as Dorothea laughed, but soon she couldn't help smiling at the diva. It made Byleth happy to see the girl back to her usual spirits.

As she finished laughing, Dorothea said, "Ahh, I needed that. But, really, it was sweet of you to do that for me."

A moment of silence then passed between the two as Byleth kept blushing.

Then, remembering the events following the battle, Dorothea asked, "Hey, Professor? What happened with your mother?"

This immediately filled Byleth's expression with muted sorrow, and immediately Dorothea regretted asking the question.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's okay," Byleth replied. "Father took her back to the cemetery and buried her by himself. Then he and I went to talk with Rhea. Father was… pretty angry with what she told us."

"What did she tell you?"

"She told me about how my mother died…"

Byleth hesitated for a moment. Dorothea decided not to ask about the circumstances behind Sitri's death, not wanting to sound insensitive.

But then Byleth continued, "When I was born, my mother couldn't take the strain, and I… I was stillborn. So, knowing she was dying, mother told Rhea… she said, 'My heart… Give it to my child.' So, Rhea did."

"She… gave you your mother's heart?" Dorothea was stunned to hear this.

"Yes, she did. But I…" Again, Byleth hesitated before taking a deep breath. "Dorothea, can I tell you something? Something that no one else but my father knows?"

"Y-Yes, of course."

"I… I don't have a heartbeat."

"You what?!"

Byleth said nothing as she lifted a hand to Dorothea's left wrist. Dorothea allowed her to take her by the arm and move the back of the singer's hand between her bountiful breasts, pressing against where her heart would be.

Several seconds passed before Dorothea realized Byleth was telling the truth. She couldn't feel a heartbeat.

"How… How is this… How are you even alive?"

"I don't know," Byleth said somberly. "I have a pulse, but my heart… it's been still ever since I was an infant. I never knew why. I… I still don't know why. Why do I have a heart that won't beat? What does that make me?"

"Professor?"

"You once asked me why I was called the 'Ashen Demon'. It was a name given to me by other mercenaries for how I would enter battle, emotionless as a statue, yet as destructive as a beast. I hate that name. It makes me feel like… like I really am a monster. I can't cry. I never used to laugh. I could barely even smile. How is that… how is that natural?"

Byleth now buried her face in her hands. She wanted to cry like Dorothea had, but nothing would come from her eyes. She could not let out a sob. All she could do was sigh in self-loathing.

"You're no monster," said Dorothea. "You're our Professor, someone whose taught us so much these past months. And I… I like to think maybe we've taught you a thing or two as well."

"What?"

"You said it yourself: you didn't used to laugh or smile, but now you do it just as much as any of us. And you clearly feel sadness, right? You don't need to cry to be sad. Besides, I think Bern cries enough for the both of us."

Dorothea let out a giggle at this, something Byleth could not help but join in on.

"There, you see, Professor? No monster would laugh like that."

"Th-Thank you, Dorothea," Byleth said with a smile.

It was at this moment that someone knocked on Dorothea's door.

"Is anyone at home?" came a gloomy voice, one the two immediately recognized.

Dorothea's expression turned to disappointment as she stood up and opened the door, revealing Constance on the other side, her face filled with melancholy from being out in the sun. The sight of the blonde reminded Dorothea that, following the incident with Aelfric, Rhea had disbanded the Ashen Wolves to free them from being constrained to Abyss. The Archbishop had also decided to offer them a place in the Officers' Academy. Constance, Hapi and Balthus had joined the Black Eagles, Blue Lions and Golden Deer, respectively, as new additions to the first-year students. Yuri, however, had refused such an offer, citing he had already been expelled from the Officers' Academy before and that he had a large mess to clean up in Abyss. Though Aelfric's Abyssian hostages had been freed by Catherine and Shamir, Yuri had a lot to make up for due to his role in the disaster. Dorothea had been quite dismayed upon learning that Constance had become one of the Black Eagles, but upon seeing the blonde in such a gloomy state, she felt she could tolerate it.

"Constance, what is it?" asked Byleth.

"Oh, Professor Eisner. I apologize for my intrusion. Surely whatever I have to say pales in comparison to whatever you were discussing with Dorothea."

Though she wanted Constance to continue her self-pity, Dorothea decided against it and said, "Constance, please, tell us what you have to say."

"You are too kind, Dorothea. I wish to inform you that Lady Rhea has called for a meeting in her audience chamber. We are all to attend, despite that I am clearly not worthy to be in her presence."

"Oh, well, okay."

"Thank you for telling me, Constance," said Byleth.

"I need no thanks. I am at your disposal for whatever you may require."

A moment of silence passed before Dorothea said, "I'm never going to get used to this."

…

"Thank you all for coming," said Rhea as she and Seteth stood before Byleth and the rest of the first-year students. "Once again, I must thank you all for your role in stopping Aelfric's plot. I know I am intruding upon the free time I have given you all, but I wished to speak with you on next month's mission."

"A new mission? So soon?" asked Edelgard.

"But you said we could take some time off!" Hilda whined.

"The mission is to take place during the Ethereal Moon, so you need not worry about it for now," said Seteth. "However, the one who made the request wishes to speak with you all regarding the details of the mission."

"Who has made this request?" asked Dedue.

"That'd be me, kiddos," said Anna as she emerged from behind a pillar.

"Anna?" Dorothea said in surprise.

"Miss Anna, you have something you require our assistance with?" asked Dimitri.

"Yep, afraid so," said Anna. "You know how all those bandits attacked the town when Aelfric was doing his… yeah, you all know that part. Well, long-story-short, my store got robbed."

The students let out a dismayed chatter at such news.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss, Miss Anna," said Ignatz.

"Ohh, I hate thieves like that!" said Annette. "What kind of jerk would go stealing someone else's stuff when people's lives are in danger?"

"Do you know who the perpetrators were?" asked Lorenz. "Perhaps you are familiar with their leader?"

"Yeah, I know who was leading them," said Anna. "His name's Pallardó. He's a swindler and a thief posing as a merchant. Guys like him give honest merchants like me a bad name." Then, seeing the students were giving her strange looks, Anna said, "Hey, my stuff might be esoteric, but I don't steal stuff and then sell it like he does!"

"How do you know it was him?" asked Ingrid.

"Several eyewitnesses saw him ransacking the shop during the bandit attack," said Seteth. "One was able to identify him by name."

"If you knew who it was, why didn't you try to stop him?" asked Raphael.

"I imagine it was because the knights were prioritizing saving the lives of the townsfolk," said Linhardt.

"That is correct," said Seteth. "The knights are still the process of tracking down Pallardó and his gang of thieves. Once they have located them, it will be up to you all to assist Anna in retrieving what was stolen."

"Sounds easy enough," said Claude. "Compared to fighting a huge monster, taking down some thieves should be simple."

"Maybe so, but don't go letting your guard down," said Edelgard.

"We won't let you down, Anna," said Byleth.

"We will inform you when the knights return from their search," said Seteth. "For now, you are all dismissed."

…

Dorothea smiled as she left the company of the other first-year students. Many of them had asked how she was doing since the battle in the Holy Mausoleum. It warmed the singer's heart to know the others cared for her.

She was making her way down toward the market, hoping to get herself some sweets, when suddenly she heard a familiar voice say, "Songbird? Can I have a word?"

Immediately her mood turned sour as Dorothea spun around to look at Yuri. While the others had forgiven him for the things he had done for Aelfric, Dorothea was not so sympathetic.

"Yuri," Dorothea said crossly. "What do you want?"

"Look, I know you're mad at me," said Yuri. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened with–"

"Sorry?! Sorry that you caused an untold number of innocent deaths? Sorry that you tried to desecrate Sitri's remains? Sorry that you and Aelfric hired my half-brother, who once tried to rape me, to do your dirty work? Sorry that I… that I almost got killed TWICE in a single night?!"

Yuri had to back up as, with each accusation Dorothea made, she took a furious step closer to him.

"Yeah, this is going about as well as I expected," Yuri murmured to himself.

"You caused so much harm and death and you think saying 'Sorry' will make up for it?!"

"No, I don't. I'm not asking you to forgive me for what I did. I–"

"Stop talking! I can barely stand the sound of your voice anymore."

"Not even gonna hear me out, are you?"

"No. So do us both a favor and go away."

"Afraid I can't do that yet. Not exactly finished with this talk."

Dorothea did not reply to this as she continued to scowl at Yuri.

"You can keep being angry at me for almost getting you killed. You have every right."

"Do you want to know something, Yuri? That isn't even the real reason I'm mad at you. I'm mad at you because you… you used me as a pawn in your twisted game with Aelfric. I am not just someone for you to play your mind games with!"

Yuri then let out a chuckle as he asked, "But you're okay with being Lord Arundel's pawn?"

Dorothea let out a shocked gasp at this, terrified that someone might have heard them. A quick glance around, however, showed no one was with them.

"You don't make for a very good spy if you've got a tell like that."

Dorothea raised her hand to strike Yuri, but he caught her by the wrist with a firm grip.

"Take it from me, Songbird, you don't wanna be helping him in whatever he's doing. Don't make the same mistake I made with Aelfric."

"It's none of your business!" Dorothea snapped as she wrested her arm from Yuri's grip.

"Actually, it is. Since I still work for Lady Rhea, part of my job is catching spies like you. But I can tell you're not doing anything for him because you want to. It's because you have to, isn't it?"

Dorothea was speechless for a second, not expecting Yuri to understand so much.

"Someone like you could never have afforded to get into the Officers' Academy without some help," Yuri continued. "So, you chose to make yourself useful to him, right? Songbird, you don't wanna dig yourself any deeper into that pit."

"I… don't have a choice," Dorothea said bitterly.

"Yes, you do. You just don't see any alternatives. Listen, I'm not gonna go telling Rhea about this because so far you haven't done anything too dangerous, but if you keep doing his dirty work… well, you get where I'm going. If you want any help in cutting your ties with him, I'm more than willing to give you a hand."

"Yuri…"

"Just think on it for now, Songbird. I'll catch you later."

With that, Yuri slipped into the shadows and vanished from Dorothea's sight.

* * *

_I suspect I'm being heavy-handed again, especially with the Byleth/Dorothea part. Is this too early for Dorothea to be learning about Byleth's heartbeat?_

_I'm going to try to do a couple of chapters before we get to Remire, just to insert some more character development before one of the darker scenes of the story. I know this is dragging out the Red Wolf Moon for a long while, but just bear with it a little longer._

_And yes, Yuri knowing about Dorothea working for Arundel makes sense. And he doesn't wanna see her with her head in Arundel's figurative noose. I'm actually still working out how Dorothea can cut her ties with Arundel without him trying to kill her. But I should specify that Dorothea doesn't know Arundel is an Agarthan; she doesn't even know the Agarthans exist._

_But the thing is, Dorothea being Arundel's spy has a twist to it. That is the big mystery._


	71. Cooking Calamities

_Hope you guys are having a nice Thanksgiving in these times. Here, have a serving of slice-of-life._

* * *

**Chapter 71 – Cooking Calamities (Red Wolf Moon)**

A large group of the first-year students were gathered in the kitchen at Garreg Mach's dining hall, paired into teams of two for a small contest. Before each pair were a set of ingredients and a large pot with which to brew.

The event had been Annette's idea. The greenhouse had recently brought in a large harvest of Nordsalat, so the orange-haired girl had suggested that the students come together for a cooking competition to see who could make the best Charming Soup out of the harvest. However, Byleth had chosen to turn the activity into an exercise in teamwork by pairing students together for the contest. The pairings that had decided to join in were Dorothea and Bernadetta, Annette and Mercedes, Ingrid and Sylvain, Claude and Petra, Dedue and Ashe, Leonie and Lorenz, Hilda and Marianne, Constance and Ferdinand, and Balthus and Hapi. Byleth and Gilbert were both in the kitchen as well to ensure everything went fairly.

It had taken Byleth a bit to organize the event, but she knew it would go a long way in helping the students to relax and recover from their battle with the Umbral Beast. She had been disappointed when some of the students declined to participate, but she decided it was for the best; the kitchen likely would not accommodate all of them at once. Flayn had expressed an interest in the contest as well, but Seteth caught wind of it and convinced her not to participate. Byleth knew that was for the best; no one but Seteth could bring themselves to tell the girl her cooking was horrible.

"Alright, everyone," said Byleth. "You'll each have one hour to make your soups. Work together with your partner. Once you're all finished, bring your work out so the judges can each have a sample and decide on a winner."

"Is there a prize at stake?" asked Balthus. "I'd feel a lot more motivated by some gold."

"Baltie, are you serious?" Hilda said in exasperation.

"There's no material prize, but please do your best," said Byleth. "If you have any questions, please speak with me or Sir Gilbert."

"Alright then, let's get started!" Ashe said earnestly.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Annette said with enthusiasm.

"Must I be forced to wear this unsightly garment?" Constance said as she gestured to her apron, which was quite dirty from repeated usage by the kitchen staff.

"Hey, it's better than getting anything on your dress, Coco," said Hapi.

"I agree with Constance on the matter," said Lorenz. "This smock is utterly dreadful."

"Oh, suck it up, Lorenz," said Leonie. "Come on, start peeling those veggies."

Lorenz was about to argue with Leonie on being given such a menial task, but Dorothea ignored him as she turned to Bernadetta. The purple-haired girl was shaking in her usual fright.

"Hey, Bern, you okay?" asked Dorothea.

"I… I don't want to do this!" Bernadetta squeaked. "I just can't, not today!"

"Bern, you've always been so up for cooking. What's going on?"

"Th-There's too many people around! I'm okay when it's just me and you, but with everyone else here… I can't cook with so many eyes watching me…!"

"Bern, you don't need to worry about that. We're all friends here. And hey, if you think them watching you is too distracting, I'll make sure their eyes are on me instead."

Dorothea winked as she finished and, in a move that made Bernadetta blush, the brunette reached for the hem of her undershirt and pulled it down a bit, exposing more of her tantalizing cleavage. It was a move that made Sylvain go wide-eyed as he stared at the singer, something which prompted Ingrid to stomp on his foot.

"OW! OW, INGRID!" Sylvain yelped.

"Stop letting your eyes wander, Sylvain," Ingrid said crossly. "And give me a hand with the turnip, would you?"

Ignoring the exchange between the two Blue Lions, Dorothea said, "Come on, Bern. You've taught me so much about cooking, but I can't do this alone. Please, help me out here."

"Oh, um… okay…" Bernadetta said nervously before taking a deep breath. "Come on, Bernie, you can do this…"

Bernadetta then went to work as she started measuring spices that the two would eventually add to their soup while Dorothea went to work chopping up the Nordsalat.

To the side, Byleth watched with a smile of pride as Dorothea and Bernadetta went to work.

"You show Miss Arnault a great deal of favor, Professor Eisner," said Gilbert.

"I won't deny it," said Byleth. "Dorothea's been through a lot. They all have."

"That much is true. We are all defined by our experiences."

Byleth nodded at this as she looked around at the students. Constance was ignoring Ferdinand's protests as she added more Noa Fruit to her cooking pot, claiming no dish could have too much sweetness. Balthus was trying to figure out how to explain what a 'pinch' meant for Hapi, who was worrying over adding too much or too little spice. Lorenz and Leonie had both stopped work on their pot, the two now squabbling over who had to cut up the vegetables. Hilda was complaining about having to do hard work while Marianne just stood and listened to the pinkette, so neither of them were making much progress. Claude was trying to explain an idiom he had said to Petra, who was totally confused with Claude's saying. Ashe and Dedue were cooperating with each other the best out of the group, each one skillfully chopping up vegetables and making good measurements of spices.

Byleth turned to look back at Dorothea and Bernadetta. The brunette was doing much better at chopping vegetables than she had done months ago, but she was still making quite a few mistakes, chopping some chunks of Nordsalat far too large.

Then, Dorothea let out a loud "OUCH!" as she accidentally cut her hand with her knife, which clattered to the floor as she dropped it.

Byleth immediately strode toward her as Bernadetta said, "Dorothea, are you okay?!"

Dorothea held her bleeding hand as she said, "Y-Yeah, it's not that bad."

Before Dorothea could do anything else, Byleth took Dorothea by the hand and began to channel a healing spell. The cut quickly sealed itself, leaving only some blood on Dorothea's hand as the singer looked at Byleth.

"Professor…"

"Feeling better now?" asked Byleth.

"Yes, thank you."

Just then, the others heard Sylvain make a yelp as he too cut his hand.

"Ow, stupid vegetable," said Sylvain. "Hey Professor, how about a little of that healing here too?"

Before Byleth could move, Ingrid said, "You did that on purpose, Sylvain!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Don't toy with Professor Eisner's generosity!"

"Me? Never! I wouldn't take advantage of her like that! Really, my hand just slipped!"

The others were not convinced by Sylvain's words.

Ingrid then let out a loud sigh as she said, "Fine, you big baby. Here."

The blonde then tore a strip of cloth from her apron and began to wrap it around Sylvain's bloodied hand. The redhead let out a grunt of pain as Ingrid pulled tightly on the improvised bandage.

"OW! Ingrid, not so– ACK!"

"As Leonie said, suck it up, Sylvain."

Byleth let out a frown of exasperation at this. She had been more than willing to heal Sylvain herself, even if he had cut himself on purpose.

The students went back to making their soups as the hour passed by. Byleth resumed watching the others, disappointed that some of them were making poor progress for various reasons. Constance's brew was starting to turn purple from having too much Noa Fruit in it, despite Ferdinand's continued protests, while Hilda and Marianne's soup barely looked like more than discolored water. Ingrid and Sylvain were only modestly better, as theirs actually looked edible. Leonie and Lorenz, thanks to their squabbling, had made about as much progress as Hilda and Marianne, and Byleth doubted they would ever finish.

Then, to everyone's alarm, they heard a very loud bubbling coming from Annette and Mercedes' pot. The pot was beginning to send out sparks violently.

"Uh oh…!" Annette said with a gulp.

"Annie, what's going on?" Mercedes asked in surprise.

"I don't know! All I did was add a bit of that crushed black pepper!"

Annette then gestured to a small bag filled with what looked like crushed black pebbles.

"That's not pepper!" Ashe shouted. "That's an ingredient used in making blasting powder!"

Everyone immediately knew what was going to happen next and ran for cover. Annette, too shocked by Ashe's words, could only let out a loud yelp as her pot exploded, filling the air with smoke and ash.

A series of loud coughs filled the kitchen as the explosion passed. Everyone was covered in soot as they emerged from hiding. The pot was now emptied of its contents, which had stuck to the ceiling.

Coughing, Dorothea said, "I-Is everyone okay?"

"I – I think so," said Leonie.

"Annie? Annie?!" Mercedes said fearfully.

Dorothea's heart sank for a moment. Annette had been the closest one to the blast.

But as the smoke cleared, they saw that Gilbert had put himself between Annette and the exploding pot. The orange-haired girl was unharmed as she looked up at her father, whose back was drenched with ruined soup.

"F-Father?" Annette said in concern.

Gilbert said nothing to this as he moved himself away from Annette, leaving the girl despondent at how uncaring her father seemed to be.

The veteran knight turned briefly to Byleth and said, "If you will excuse me." He then left in order to get himself cleaned off.

Byleth looked at Annette with concern, knowing the girl had to be hurting inside.

"Annie? Are you alright?" asked Mercedes as she wrapped her arms around the girl.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay…" Annette replied before she looked up at the ceiling.

As if on cue, a small portion of the soup chose that moment to fall down and splat right on Annette's face, with another part landing in Mercedes' hair.

"Agh! Eww!" Annette yelped. Mercedes let out a similar sound of disgust at being soiled by their ruined soup.

Hilda could not help but start laughing at the two, which the others found themselves joining in on. At first, Annette looked back at them indignantly, but she soon couldn't help herself from joining in on their laughter, especially when Mercedes began to giggle at their bad luck.

Even Byleth could not help but giggle a bit at their misfortune.

…

After the students had finished making their soups, each one was brought out to be judged. Alois, Catherine and Anna had all been selected as impartial judges for the contest.

"Gotta say, something here smells good, at least," said Catherine as she eyed Ashe and Dedue's pot.

"Now, now, Catherine, we'll need to judge everyone's pot before we can pick a winner," said Alois.

"Sorry to hear your pot blew up, you two," Anna said to Annette and Mercedes.

The two girls could only blush at this, each now wearing new clothes after being forced to clean up following the accident.

"Now then, whose pot should we start with first?" asked Alois. "Hmm, how about yours?" He gestured to Ingrid and Sylvain as he said this.

The two nodded as they served small sample portions of their soup to the three judges. Each one took an experimental sip of it and, to the Blue Lions' disappointment, none of them showed particular interest in it.

"Well, it's… okay," said Alois.

"Kinda bland, to be honest," said Anna.

"I've had better, sorry you two," said Catherine.

Sighing, Ingrid said, "I guess we didn't do so well."

"Now, don't get all mopey yet," said Alois. He then let out a friendly chuckle as he said, "It's better than what I could do. Never been very good at making soup."

"Let's try yours next," Catherine said to Leonie and Lorenz.

The three of them sampled the creation made by the Golden Deer, followed by sampling some from the others. Leonie and Lorenz had, as Byleth predicted, done poorly, their soup ending up more like a pot of mish-mashed ingredients than an actual soup. Claude and Petra's pot had been judged to be similar to Ingrid and Sylvain's; not bad, but not great either. Marianne and Hilda did poorly as well, largely due to Hilda's laziness.

Dorothea, seeing the others' poor results, said to Byleth, "Maybe this was a bit much…"

"At least you all tried," said Byleth.

"Well, everyone except Hilda."

The two were interrupted as Catherine loudly spat out the serving of soup that she had gotten from Balthus and Hapi. This was enough of a prompt for Alois and Anna not to have any.

"Agh! Dammit! Balthus, what did you put in this?!" Catherine said in annoyance.

"Hey, don't ask me!" said Balthus. "Hapi was handling the spices!"

"Ugh, I knew this would happen," Hapi grumbled. "Sorry, Kat, I suck at this sort of thing."

Anna gave the soup a sniff and recoiled as she said, "Ugh, smells like sulfur! I'll pass!"

"Sorry, but I think I'll have to skip this one too," said Alois. "It doesn't quite look… well, edible."

"No need to sugarcoat it," said Hapi. "Come on, B, let's just go dump it."

Balthus let out a disappointed sigh as he grabbed the pot and followed Hapi out of the dining hall.

"Now then, let's see about yours, Dorothea," said Alois.

"O-Oh, right! Here you are!" Dorothea said as she gave samples to the three judges.

As each one had their portion, they showed considerably more interest.

"Hey, this is pretty good!" said Alois.

"Not bad, not bad," added Catherine.

"Definitely better than the others so far," said Anna. Then, realizing her lack of tact, she said, "Oh, no offense, guys."

This made Dorothea and Bernadetta's faces light up with joy.

That is, until the three judges sampled the soup made by Ashe and Dedue.

"W-WOW! Delicious!" said Alois.

"Nice job, you two!" Catherine said as she gave them a thumbs up.

"Definitely has my approval," said Anna.

"I'm glad you enjoy it," said Dedue.

"We worked really hard on it," said Ashe. "Go on, try some more!"

"Now, hold just a moment!" snapped Constance. "You have yet to try MY creation."

Dorothea looked at Constance's pot and immediately was dismayed by the sight. Charming Soup was normally supposed to be beige in color, but Constance's pot was a myriad of dark colors. Dorothea wasn't sure if this was Constance using a variation on her "Rainbow Tea" spell, or if it was just a result of the ingredients used.

"Oh, right, sorry about that," said Catherine. "Here, let's have a taste."

Balthus and Hapi returned from dumping their pot as Catherine received a small bowl of Constance's soup. Deciding not to wait for the other two, Catherine took a sip of the multi-colored soup.

In a second, Catherine let out a loud gagging sound and fell backward in her chair to the floor, her face one of comical shock. Her cheeks had even turned slightly purple.

"Catherine?!" Alois said in concern as he set aside his portion and checked on the Crusader.

With an exasperated look, Balthus said, "Sure enough. One strike."

Constance's face went red with embarrassment as she said, "Y-Y-You simply lack the refined taste needed to appreciate such a meal!" Of course, no one was convinced by this.

"Coco, what did you do this time?" asked Hapi.

"Lady Catherine, I must apologize," said Ferdinand. "I could not sway her decisions in her design. I told her she was adding far too much sweetening to the soup and yet–"

Dorothea could not help laughing at Constance, who began threatening to vaporize the brunette. Ferdinand was forced to hold Constance back while Alois and Balthus carried Catherine off to the infirmary.

With an exasperated sigh, Anna said, "Well, seeing as I'm the only judge left, I think I'll name us a winner." Then, with a little theatricality, she said, "I hereby declare the winners of this contest to be… Ashe and Dedue! Great job, guys!"

The others applauded the two Blue Lions for their win, leading to Ashe blushing. Constance was left livid when Anna declared she had gotten last place, as hers had been the only dish to cause a casualty.

And though Dorothea was a little disappointed that she and Bernadetta had only gotten second place, she still took the accolade with aplomb.

* * *

_Yes, I imagine Constance would be the most likely to cook as badly as Rise Kujikawa from Persona 4. Both their meals were One Strike. XD_

_I was originally thinking to let Dorothea and Bernie win, but I decided against it to avoid being too OOC. But hey, second place is good enough for them._

_I also did not include everyone from the student roster for this because it would've resulted in some awkward pairings, and due to how I didn't want to drag things out too much. I hope that's okay with you guys._

_Also, I know I should've put an Alois pun in there somewhere, but I just couldn't come up with one. Truth be told, he's one of my more disliked characters from Three Houses, despite how much of a nice guy he is._


	72. The Perfect Heir

_I know someone's going to be skeptical of this chapter (coughPlasmaKnightcough), but I hope you will enjoy the work I put into it._

_This chapter will contain an adaptation of the Byleth/Edelgard C+ Support._

* * *

**Chapter 72 – The Perfect Heir (Red Wolf Moon)**

Edelgard could not help but shiver a bit as she walked through the cold halls of Garreg Mach. It was well after midnight, but she could not sleep, so she had dressed herself for a late-night stroll. Many would have called this unwise, as the frost covering the monastery would attest, but she had always been calmed by the feeling of the nighttime air.

As she reached an exit that led to an outdoor balcony, she was met by a worrying sight. It was a group of the second-year boys, four in all, and they were standing in a semicircle before Dorothea. Despite the cold, the singer's outfit was still somewhat revealing, though she at least wore enough to keep herself warm. Dorothea was in a ready stance, and it was clear to Edelgard that these four boys were threatening her in some way.

One of the second-year boys then said, "You said you'd me again after that night. You said that to all of us at some point, didn't you?"

"Not very sincere, are you, Dorothea?" said another one.

"What, you don't think we're good enough for you?" snapped a third. "You think a street rat like you can look down on us like that?!"

"We think you owe us an apology, Arnault," said the fourth boy.

"I don't believe I owe you anything," said Dorothea. "What, you can't stand rejection?"

The boys stepped toward Dorothea at this moment, prompting the brunette to channel her Mana. Electricity crackled between her fingers, but the boys were not intimidated.

"Don't think that I won't hurt you!" said Dorothea.

The second of the four laughed as he said, "You think you can do that and get away with it?"

"We'd be more than willing to tell the Knights that you assaulted us," said the third.

"It'd be our word against yours," said the first one. "And who would believe a street rat over us?"

Dorothea let out an audible hiss as she realized her situation. However, she did not drop her guard.

On the side, Edelgard scowled unnoticed at the boys. She knew these second-year students were all talk and no skill, and that Dorothea could defeat them easily even with such odds. But she also knew they were the type who would surely follow through on such a blackmail threat.

The third of the four boys smirked as he took another step toward Dorothea.

Then, all four stopped as Edelgard said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

As the princess emerged from the shadows, Dorothea said, "Edie!"

"L-Lady Edelgard!" the fourth boy said nervously.

"If you intend to harm her in any way, I will ensure none of you live to regret it," said Edelgard. She then made a dramatic wave of her arm as she said, "Now get out of my sight!"

Knowing they were in serious trouble, the boys turned tail and fled.

Dorothea waited until they were all gone before she loosened her stance. She then turned to Edelgard and said, "Thanks, Edie."

"I'm glad I could help, Dorothea," said Edelgard. "Though I'm sure you could have taken them by yourself. What was this all about?"

"Oh, they're all boys I've dated in the past. Never spoke to them again afterwards. Most of them just saw me as… well, you get the idea."

"So, you brought that upon yourself?"

Dorothea made a slightly offended expression as she said, "Hey, it's not my fault they can't take a little rejection!"

"Even so, this was no doubt a result of your constant flirting. Dorothea, please do not be so careless about it; you could get into serious trouble someday."

"I know, I know. But it's a risk I have to take. I need to find someone out there who won't just see me as another pretty face." Dorothea then made a sigh as she said, "It's getting hard, though. Just this last week, I've had three guys completely turn me down."

"No doubt a result of your actions."

"Ugh, Edie, do you have to make me sound like the bad guy here?"

"Sorry. I'm just telling you how I see it."

It was then that they heard someone else approaching them. The two girls turned and saw Byleth emerge from the same opening that the boys had fled into.

"Oh, hello there, Professor Byleth," said Dorothea.

"Out late again, I see," said Edelgard. "What brings you here?"

"I could ask you both the same thing," said Byleth. "And I could ask why those boys were running from here like scared children."

"I was on another date and they were all boys I'd gone out with at some point," said Dorothea. "They, well, weren't happy with me dumping them afterward."

With a displeased expression, Byleth said, "I see…" Then, turning to Edelgard, she said, "I assume you're the reason they were running."

"I won't deny it, Professor," said Edelgard. "They were trying to blackmail Dorothea when I stepped in and ordered them to leave."

"I'll take your word for it. But what are you doing out this late?"

"I just wanted some fresh air. I always wander outside when sleep evades me."

"What about you, Professor?" Dorothea asked playfully. "Out on a midnight rendezvous?"

"No, I couldn't sleep either," said Byleth. "But you two should be getting back to your rooms."

"I know, Professor, but…" Edelgard made a loud sigh as she continued, "Have you ever felt a sort of longing for the outdoors? I have. There are times I long for the warmth of the sun, for a sweet breeze on my face…"

"Well, it isn't exactly sunny or warm right now," said Dorothea. "But I get what you mean. I can't stand it if I'm being cooped up in a room all the time."

The three were silent for a moment, and then Edelgard took a deep breath before saying, "Dorothea? Professor Eisner? Do you remember what I told you the other night during the Verdant Rain Moon? About… my past? None of my siblings had a chance to lead the sort of life they deserved. An ordinary life."

"I remember," said Byleth.

"Didn't you ask us to forget about that?" Dorothea said playfully. Edelgard gave her a little frown but decided not to address Dorothea's joke.

The princess then said, "I suppose I should tell you more about it. My siblings and I were… We were imprisoned underground, beneath the palace. The object was to endow our bodies with the power of a Major Crest. I have always possessed the Crest of Seiros, inherited through the Hresvelg bloodline. But it was only a Minor Crest, and most of my siblings bore no Crest at all."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'endow you with a Crest'?" asked Dorothea.

"Is that even possible?" asked Byleth.

With an expression that clearly showed she was disturbed by her memory, Edelgard said, "Yes. In order to create a peerless emperor to rule Fódlan, they violated our bodies by cutting open our very flesh. They used dark magic and vile arts to alter the blood in our veins and change our very being to their design. It went on for months before it all ended. Now here I stand as the fruit of that endeavor, bearing the power of two Crests. But that came at too high a price… The others, my brothers and sisters, were sacrificed. Ours weren't the only lives devastated by that terrible process. Innocents died as well, without even knowing what they were dying for. People snatched from the streets, from farms, and even from the homes of nobles, all lives lost to ensure I would become the 'perfect' emperor."

Dorothea looked at Edelgard in absolute horror as the princess told her tale. Byleth, while not nearly as expressive, also showed disgust at the story.

"And there you have it, the truth of the Hresvelg's Empire…" said Edelgard.

"Edie, that's… that's unbelievable…" Dorothea said in muted shock.

"Who is blame for all of this?" asked Byleth.

"The prime minister and his gaggle of nobles," said Edelgard.

"Duke Aegir?" asked Dorothea.

"They had the Empire under their thumbs. You obviously know how Duke Aegir and the other noble families gained power following the Insurrection of the Seven. My father, the emperor, tried to stop them, but… it was futile. My father was nothing but a puppet on a string by then. He was powerless to save us, even as we pleaded for him to save us from our torment. Had he made any move to try and save us, it would have meant the destruction of the entire Hresvelg bloodline, and perhaps the end of the Adrestian Empire itself."

"Duke Aegir commanded that much power?" asked Byleth.

"There's no way he could've done that all on his own," said Dorothea. "Even with the other noble families on his side."

"I suspect he had outside help," said Edelgard. "But it is not something I can prove. And revealing the truth publicly would only make things worse, even if I had proof."

Dorothea made a loud sigh as she said, "This all just sounds so… unbelievable, Edie."

"I know how it all sounds. But when you see my true strength, you will know I speak the truth. Yet before I do, you two must swear to me that you will not reveal it to anyone, least of all to the Church."

"The Church? Why?" asked Byleth.

"If they know of the power I possess, they will see it as an affront to the Goddess, and no doubt the Empire will suffer for it. Mine would be far from the only life that would be forfeit if the truth were to come out. Dorothea, you are my closest friend, and Professor Eisner, you have taught me so much in the time we have known one another. If I cannot trust you with this secret, then there is no one left."

"I understand," said Byleth.

"Of course, Edie," added Dorothea.

Edelgard gave them a nod and said, "I have kept it hidden all this time, but… I will reveal to you the power of my second Crest."

Edelgard then placed her left hand to her chest as she raised her right with her palm facing up. Her body began to radiant a glowing green energy as a Crest took form above her hand.

The sight of the Crest left both Byleth and Dorothea in utter shock.

It was the Crest of Flames.

"T-That's…!" Dorothea stammered, unable to finish her thought.

"Edelgard…" said Byleth.

"It is the same as yours, Professor Eisner… the Crest of Flames," said Edelgard.

The princess lowered her hand and the green glow that surrounded her disappeared as the Crest of Flames vanished from sight.

She then said, "When it manifested for me, I swore a silent oath. For the sake of my family and for all the poor souls whose lives were traded for my existence… For their sake, I will build a world where such meaningless sacrifice is never again sanctioned. When I become emperor, I will change the world! I swear it!"

Byleth and Dorothea could only stand in awe before Edelgard as she finished her words.

…

The next morning was filled with the same chill that had been present the previous night. Dorothea awoke in her bed with a soft moan as she stretched her arms absentmindedly.

Her mind was still going through everything Edelgard had told her. She still could scarcely believe it all. But Edelgard had shown she bore the Crest of Flames, the same Crest Byleth had.

How was this possible? Having two Crests was supposed to be impossible, yet Dorothea had seen Edelgard wield the Minor Crest of Seiros before, and her possession of the Crest of Flames was unmistakable. Who could possibly have the power to not only give Edelgard a second Crest, but for said second Crest to be one that had been lost for centuries? It didn't make sense for Duke Aegir and his cohorts to be capable of such a thing. So, who was it?

And why was it so critical to keep Edelgard's second Crest a secret from the Church? Rhea had been elated when Byleth had manifested the Crest of Flames back during the Blue Sea Moon. Did the Church consider twin Crests to be some kind of taboo? Or was there something else to it?

Another thought crossed Dorothea's mind. If Edelgard had the Crest of Flames, why hadn't the Sword of the Creator reacted to her? It was no secret that the Crest Stone for the sword was missing, but it still glowed whenever Byleth drew it. But when Edelgard had handled it during the incident with Aelfric, it hadn't glowed in her hands.

A loud knock on her door startled the singer out of her thoughts.

"Dorothea? Dorothea? Are you up?" came Byleth's voice.

"Y-Yes, just a second!"

Dorothea quickly slipped on a robe and went to her door, opening it to reveal Byleth with a look of urgency on her face.

"Professor, what's wrong?"

"Get yourself ready for battle. We have to get to Remire as soon as possible."

"Remire?"

* * *

_Not much of a rest before the next nightmare, huh?_

_I know some of you will think Dorothea learning about Edelgard's twin Crests cheapens the gesture of Edelgard revealing it to Byleth, but remember how Dorothea is closer to Edelgard in my story than in the game._

_And as for those boys who were threatening Dorothea, yes, she could've beat them up by herself. But having Edelgard intervene both prevents any issues from cropping up and also helps to expand on Dorothea's friendship with Edelgard._

_Now, when it comes to the next few chapters, I plan to make several original twists. This won't be easy for me. Wish me luck._


	73. The Remire Calamity, Part 1

_Man, I got carried away with this one._

* * *

**Chapter 73 – The Remire Calamity, Part 1 (Red Wolf Moon)**

The scene at Remire was unlike anything the students had ever seen. The villagers, normally peaceful and friendly, had seemingly lost their minds and now were in a violent frenzy, attacking anyone who approached or who wasn't part of their bloodthirsty mob. The hundreds of infected villagers were identifiable thanks to the bulging veins on their faces and whited out eyes. The carnage was palpable even from a distance; severed limbs and corpses lined the streets. Those who hadn't gone mad were screaming for help or crying out as they were ripped to pieces.

But that wasn't the worst of it. From where they stood overlooking the town, Byleth could see a particular set of bodies was lying in the center of town. They were the bodies of the third-year students, each in various states of dismemberment.

The third-year semester had been wiped out.

"By the Goddess…" said Alois as he overlooked the carnage.

"What's going on here…" said Jeralt as he tried to make sense of it all.

As they saw the chaos, Dorothea saw Dimitri making a strange twitch at the sight.

"Your Highness?" asked Dedue.

"I… don't worry about me. I'm fine," said Dimitri as he recomposed himself.

As Dorothea watched this exchange, she felt Felix give her a small tap on the shoulder as he whispered, "Best not to get close to him."

Confused, Dorothea asked, "Huh? What are you–"

"Lady Edelgard! Thank the Goddess you're here!" shouted a familiar voice.

Dorothea turned to see two figures stumbling toward the group, and her heart sank as she saw Manuela limping toward them, bleeding from several cuts on her otherwise pristine skin. The second was Monica, whose uniform was torn to reveal her left arm and the right side of her waist. Her expression was one of both terror and relief at her salvation.

"Manuela!" Dorothea gasped in fright as she ran over to the senior diva.

"Dorothea, dearie…" Manuela groaned as she slung her arm over Dorothea's shoulder.

"Manuela, what happened to you?"

"W-We were overrun. We tried to stop them, but…"

"Easy there, Professor Manuela, we've got you," said Alois as he offered his help.

It was then that Manuela looked like she was about to burst into tears as she said, "T-They're dead. They're all dead! I was responsible for them and… I-I couldn't save them! Varus, Heine, Ezekiel, Sorsha, they're all gone!"

The first-year students looked on in grief as Manuela spoke the names of the deceased third-year students.

"No… How could this happen?" Claude said grimly.

"Get her back to camp," Jeralt said to one of the knights, who led Manuela away.

"Monica, what happened here?" Edelgard asked the whimpering redhead.

"W-We were helping to treat t-the villagers when, all of a sudden, t-they just went crazy," said Monica. "They s-started killing each other a-and setting fire to the village. We tried to stop them b-but there were just too many of them." Then, bursting into tears, Monica said, "F-Freu, t-they tore her apart limb from limb!"

Monica was almost screaming in tears as Edelgard said, "Hubert."

"I'll see her to safety," Hubert replied as he led Monica away.

"Why is this happening?" Dorothea said with grief. "What could drive these people to do something like this?"

"Didn't the knights say this was some sort of illness?" asked Ferdinand.

"That's what I heard," said Sylvain.

"No way this is an illness," said Anna, who had offered her help earlier.

"Anna, have you seen anything like this before?" asked Catherine.

"More-or-less. I saw something similar back in Valentia, though it wasn't on this scale. This has to be the work of some really dark magic."

"How are you certain?" asked Lysithea.

"The crazed villagers only seem to be attacking those who are still sane, or anybody who's trying to interfere. If this were just some illness, they'd be attacking each other too. But it's as if something's guiding them…"

At hearing such an implication, Dorothea said, "Why…? Why would someone knowingly do this?"

Then, to the surprise of everyone, Byleth said, "If someone is responsible for this, they have to pay…!"

Dorothea looked at Byleth as she said this and immediately found herself concerned. Byleth had an expression no one there had seen her bear before: one of anger.

"Professor…?"

"We have to search the village and find who's behind all of this!"

Byleth took a step forward with her sword drawn, but Jeralt put a hand in front of her to stop her.

"Even if someone's behind this, our first priority is rescuing as many of the villagers as possible," said Jeralt. "Got it?"

Byleth glared at Jeralt for a moment, but her father did not flinch to her gaze.

Then, Byleth let out a loud scowl as she said, "Yes, father."

Jeralt turned to the students and knights, which in total numbered around 300 strong, and said, "The Knights and I will rein in the villagers who've turned violent. Byleth, Anna, take the students and focus on rescuing the others."

"What if the violent ones decide to attack us?" asked Ignatz.

"Then you are to put them down. Understood?"

"What?! Captain Jeralt, you can't be serious!" said Leonie. "We have to save them too!"

"Maybe we could just knock them out instead!" said Caspar.

"There isn't time for that," said Jeralt. "You saw what they did to the third-years. We can't afford to have you taking such a risk. Save those you can. For the others, put them out of their misery."

Jeralt's order was one that left the students in dismay.

"No… No, we can't!" Dorothea said loudly, prompting everyone to turn to her. "They're innocent people! They aren't doing this willingly! We can't just kill them! There has to be some way to save them all!"

"Dorothea?" Edelgard asked with concern.

"If we find the ones who are doing this, we can make them stop! If we take them out, maybe the villagers will go back to normal! Please, Sir Jeralt, you can't just–"

"You have your orders, cadet," Jeralt interrupted. "Carry them out." Turning to Alois, Catherine, Shamir, and the rest of the knights, he said, "Let's move!"

The knights began to march on Remire. Horrified, Dorothea tried to run in front of them before being restrained by Byleth.

"No! No, you can't! P-Professor! Let me go! Sir Jeralt, please don't! PLEASE, STOP!"

Dorothea's pleas went unheeded as Jeralt led the Knights of Seiros to battle against the deranged villagers of Remire.

Desperate, the singer then turned to Byleth and said, "Professor, you have to stop him! Your father–"

"Father is right, Dorothea," said Byleth.

"B-Byleth?" Dorothea said, her tone with a hint of betrayal.

"I don't like it any more than you do, but if we try to save everyone, we could end up losing everything. We have to save who we can." Seeing that Dorothea wasn't convinced, Byleth said, "Are you willing to risk everyone else's lives for what you want, Dorothea?"

Dorothea's eyes widened at this for a moment before taking an expression that showed she had gotten Byleth's point.

"Dorothea, if you do not wish to participate in this, no one will force you," said Edelgard.

"Edelgard's right, Dorothea," said Byleth. "If you want to sit out, I'll–"

"No… no, you're right, Professor," Dorothea said with a sniffle. "We have to help those we can. And you might need me to heal you out there."

"Thank you, Dorothea. I know this must be hard for you."

As Dorothea did her best to recompose herself, Byleth turned to the students to give out her orders.

…

The Death Knight stared pensively down at Remire from atop a hill as the Knights of Seiros and the first-year students of the Officers' Academy entered the village. The crazed villagers immediately moved to attack the Knights as the soldiers of the Church formed a shield wall and readied arrows to shoot down the violent mob. The villagers were quickly met by hails of arrows and a wall of lances that cut them down in droves, but their sheer numbers meant the Knights inevitably had to fight a close-quarters battle. Off to the sides of the village, the cadets had split into two groups on the east and west side of town, each one tasked with finding any villagers who hadn't gone mad and getting them to safety.

The Death Knight let out a sneer before he centered his gaze on the eastern group, which was being led by Byleth. He watched as three crazed villagers rushed at the blue-haired maiden, who slashed at them with her whip sword and cut them down with an expression of remorse.

As he watched, one of the Death Knight's subordinates rode up next to him and said, "Solon is sure to be discovered soon. What are your orders?"

"We wait for the so-called 'Savior of All' to make his presence known," said the Death Knight. "Then we join the slaughter."

"By your command."

The Death Knight then caught a glimpse of a familiar blonde healer among the western group. Even from where he was, he could see Mercedes healing an elderly villager of his wounds.

The subordinate saw him observe the girl, and wisely chose not to ask about it.

…

A young village boy cowered before his father as the crazed man held an iron blade in his hand and stumbled toward him.

"P-Papa! Papa, it's me!" the boy whimpered. "Papa, please! Papa!"

The boy's father did not heed his son's pleas as he said, "Kill… Kill…!"

The man raised his blade to strike his son, prompting the boy to scream.

The iron blade let out a loud clang as it struck the Mythril edge of Joyeuse.

Dorothea let out a grimace as she struggled to hold back the man's blade. Despite that the man didn't look all too muscular, he exhibited inhuman strength that Dorothea knew she couldn't hold off for long. And in the chaos of the battle, she had gotten herself separated from the others.

Grunting with exertion, Dorothea shouted to the boy, "R-Run! Get out of here!"

"B-B-But, Papa…" the boy cried.

Dorothea was about to tell the boy to run again when the man let out a shout as he swung again at her, and Dorothea yelped as she blocked and was sent stumbling back from the man's blow.

Reassuming a defensive stance, Dorothea said to the man, "Please, stop! I don't want to hurt you!"

"KILL!" shouted the man as he rushed at Dorothea.

"STAY AWAY!" Dorothea screamed as she thrust Joyeuse at him in a reflex.

The Mythril blade went cleanly into the man's chest and through his heart, killing him instantly. The iron blade fell to the ground with a loud clatter as the man fell backward and hit the floor with a loud thud.

Dorothea's eyes were wide with shock at having killed the man. She hadn't meant for the blow to be lethal.

"PAPA!" the boy screamed as he rushed over to his father's corpse. Then, realizing his father was dead, the boy turned and yelled angrily at Dorothea, "You killed him! You killed Papa!"

Trembling in horror at the accusation, Dorothea stammered, "I-I had no choice! H-He was going to kill you! I–"

"Get away!" the boy ran to pick up the iron sword on the ground, but he lacked the strength to lift it. As he tried to raise it, he shouted, "Get away from my Papa, you killer!"

Stung by the boy's words, Dorothea could only sob as she left the building.

Stumbling outside, Dorothea tried to catch her breath as she leaned against a broken wall. She turned to look at the battle in the center of town. To her sorrow, the Knights had made short work of the rampaging villagers, and there were now hundreds of innocent bodies lining the streets. The sight almost made Dorothea break down in tears at such senseless slaughter.

But then she heard a familiar voice… laughing.

She turned slowly to see who was laughing at such a horrible scene with a mix of confusion, dread, and fury.

"T-Tomas?" Dorothea said upon seeing the old librarian. "What are you doing here?"

In a tone that was completely different from the kindly old man she knew, Tomas said, "Tomas? Oh yes, you're referring to that old fool from the Ordelia territory."

"W-What? What are you talking about?"

Letting out another sinister laugh, Tomas said, "Let me spell it out for you, you stupid girl: I am not Tomas. My name is Solon, the Savior of All!"

Tomas then raised his hands, one which held a black cane of an unknown metal as dark energy swirled around him. His form began to change before Dorothea's eyes. His skin became a deathly pale, his hair turned white, pulsing veins began to show on his forehead, and his eyes became pitch black, with several symbols appearing around his right eye. His robes turned black and strange black gloves appeared on his hands.

Dorothea was in shock as she recognized Solon.

"You! You're that mage who kidnapped Flayn!"

"Ah, so you do remember me," said Solon. "Yes, indeed, I was the one who took that weak girl, so that I could extract her blood. Disguising myself as that fool of a librarian made that task far too easy."

"You're responsible for all of this?! Why? Why are you doing this to these people?!"

Solon let out a loud sneer as he said, "I need not explain my motives or reasons to an insignificant beast like you!"

"Beast?! The only beast here is you, you twisted old freak!"

"HA! You think to judge ME? It seems you need to learn your place!"

Solon raised his hand and sent a Miasma Δ spell at Dorothea. The singer raised a ward just in time to block the spell, which shattered her defense immediately. However, part of the attack got through, and Dorothea shrieked as pain ripped through her body.

Solon laughed at this as he said, "So feeble!"

Fighting through the pain, Dorothea retaliated by launching a Sagittae spell at Solon. To her dismay, the Dark Bishop did not even raise a hand as a strange ward blocked the attack. Solon's ward did not look as if it were made from magic, but instead from some unknown energy.

"Is that the best you can do, girl?" Solon taunted. "How pathetic."

"SHUT UP!"

Dorothea launched a Thoron spell at Solon, but again the strange ward blocked the attack. Then, with another sneer, Solon raised his hand and began channeling his dark power. Dorothea suddenly felt pain shoot through every nerve in her body. She screamed in agony as she was brought to her knees by the spell.

"Does that hurt?" said Solon. "Perhaps you would like another taste!"

The pain surging through Dorothea intensified, making her scream at the top of her lungs.

But then Solon made a loud "Tch!" as the Sword of the Creator slammed into his ward, forcing him to break off his attack. The pain in Dorothea's body vanished, allowing her to gasp for breath.

Solon scowled as Byleth dashed in front of Dorothea, a look of intense anger upon her face.

"Dorothea, are you alright?" Byleth said angrily.

"I-I'll live," Dorothea said as she tried to stand back up.

With a twisted grin, Solon said, "The cursed Fell Star… This will be a fine opportunity to measure your power."

Dark magic energy then began to coalesce around Solon as various neon lines began to glow across his body. A fierce gale began to form around him due to the magical pressure Solon was generating, preventing Byleth from moving forward.

"Be on your guard!" Sothis said to Byleth. "This Solon is no ordinary foe!"

"Rise…!" Solon rasped loudly. "Rise! RISE, MY MINIONS!"

Dark magic energy surged throughout Remire from Solon's body, entering the bodies of the fallen villagers. The corpses jolted and twitched as they were filled with dark magic.

Dorothea looked on apprehensively at the body of the father she had killed as the son looked on in fright.

And then, to Dorothea's absolute horror, the dead man rose from the floor, as though alive once more, but blood continued to drain from the wound Dorothea had given him.

"Papa? Papa, you're alive!" said the boy. "Papa, you're– ACK!"

With inhuman quickness, the man grabbed by the boy his neck and lifted him off the ground as he stood up.

"P-Papa…" the boy whimpered.

The man looked emotionlessly at the boy and then, in a single motion, he clenched his hand and snapped the boy's neck like a twig.

"No!" Dorothea gasped as the man dropped his dead son to the ground.

But the boy only remained lifeless on the floor for a few seconds before the same dark energy infested him, and he slowly rose to his feet, his expression lifeless.

"No… No, this isn't right…" Dorothea whimpered, now on the verge of panic.

"Oh, but it is," said Solon. "It is your worst nightmare."

Byleth heard numerous terrified voices and looked to the center of town to see more of the dead rising, with the Church soldiers backing away from them in horror.

And then Solon shouted, "KILL THEM ALL!"

With his command, the risen dead surged toward the Church soldiers, the cadets, and at Byleth and Dorothea.

* * *

_I've been getting a number of complaints that Dorothea has been in spots where she shouldn't be in various scenes. I should iterate that Dorothea is kind of meant to be a "Lord" stand-in for my story, so she has to be more involved in the central plot. This trend is going to continue, but I can understand why you guys think it's a bit OC-ish._

_As for Solon, yes, I made him a Necromancer. It makes him a much deadlier threat. Really, all of the Agarthans should've gotten unique gameplay mechanics, but instead they were just regular opponents who were full of themselves. In my story, however, they're not just boasting about "powers beyond your comprehension"._


	74. The Remire Calamity, Part 2

_This part is not for the squeamish. You've been warned._

* * *

**Chapter 74 – The Remire Calamity, Part 2 (Red Wolf Moon)**

Dorothea shook in revulsion and horror as she watched the undead man and his son shamble toward her and Byleth. The man's chest still let out spurts of blood from his pierced heart, while the boy's head dangled at an unnatural angle thanks to his broken neck. Their faces were devoid of emotion, and both had only one purpose: to kill them.

"How…?" Dorothea said in fear. "How is this… Is this like the Rite of Rising?"

"No, this is something else…" said Byleth. Her expression then turned to anger as she said, "This is Necromancy…"

The father then rushed forward with alarming speed. Byleth swept in front of Dorothea and lunged the Sword of the Creator through the undead man's chest.

The blow had little effect on the undead thrall, who let out a loud groan as he grabbed a surprised Byleth and prepared to sink his teeth into her neck.

Time stopped just before the undead thrall was about to tear into her throat.

"That was too close for my liking," said Sothis, having been the one to use the Divine Pulse this time. "You had best try something else."

The zombie released his grip on Byleth as her sword exited his chest. The undead man ran backwards to where he had been a few seconds before.

Time resumed its flow, and the zombie again charged at Byleth and Dorothea.

Again, Byleth moved in front of Dorothea. This time, instead of lunging her sword, Byleth delivered a swift kick to the zombie's chest that sent it stumbling back. The undead man quickly recovered and, along with his dead son, the two thralls rushed forward. The two were hit by a Thoron spell cast by Dorothea, the lightning blasting the two away.

"Good shot," Byleth said to Dorothea.

"Thanks."

But then the two heard the thralls let out another moan as they shambled back to their feet, seemingly unharmed by the lightning spell.

"Oh, not good," said Dorothea.

"Normal attacks don't work on them…" Byleth hissed.

Byleth's mind raced for a solution. She had never fought the undead before and learning to fight them wasn't part of the first-year curriculum at the Officers' Academy. Necromancy was considered taboo in Fódlan, and those who practiced it were mercilessly hunted. It was such a rarity that most people in Fódlan never encountered the undead. Now she was left wishing she had read up on it a bit.

Byleth then looked over to where Solon had been, thinking to try and take him out. The necromancer had moved out of her range, and now he was being joined by several new figures in black robes and armor. She knew she wouldn't be able to get to him easily.

As Byleth tried thinking of what to do, she heard Anna shout, "By! Down in front!"

Byleth whipped around to see Anna about to throw a lit torch in her direction. Startled, Byleth yelped as she dodged to the side, allowing the torch to fly past her and strike the undead father in the chest. The zombie howled as it caught fire, its flesh quickly burning away and spreading the flames to the undead son. Both were reduced to smoldering, unmoving corpses.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Dorothea said, "Nice save, Anna."

"Don't mention it," said Anna in an utmost serious tone. "I hate dealing with these things."

Not taking her eyes off Solon, Byleth asked, "You've faced this before?"

"Yeah, back in Nohr. One of the few places where Necromancy is openly practiced. Listen, By, these things are everywhere. We have to regroup."

"Wait, what about the others?" Dorothea asked with worry.

"I told them to pull back as soon as I realized what was going on. They should be at the entrance to the village with the Knights."

"And what about the civilians?"

"We did all we could."

Dorothea did not look completely assured, so Byleth said, "Dorothea, we can't help anyone if we die. We have to regroup with the others."

"Y-You're right, Professor."

"Come on, let's–"

Anna stopped as she heard the distant whinny of horses and the faint sound of hundreds of hoofbeats approaching Remire. The redhead saw a plume of dust approaching the town from the southwest and pulled out her spyglass to get a closer look.

The sight of the Death Knight leading a host of no less than fifty cavalrymen filled the merchant with dread.

"Oh, shit…" Anna cursed. "As if things couldn't get any worse…"

…

Jeralt scowled as he struck down another thrall, his lance slicing through the undead woman's arms and chest. The body slumped to the ground and stayed dead. He then made another hard swing and cleaved an old undead man in two from head to pelvis. With how he used his lance, one could've sworn he was wielding a sword instead.

Catherine made a shout as she first punched an undead minion before delivering three swift slashes of Thunderbrand, cutting her victim into ribbons. Shamir drew another arrow, having lit the tip on fire, and fired it into the forehead of an undead man, setting him ablaze. The Dagdan woman was about to draw another arrow when another zombie rushed at her, forcing her to draw her karambit and slash out the undead woman's throat. This did not stop the zombie, which clumsily grabbed her left breast as it tried to bite her. Before it could sink its teeth into her, Catherine cleaved the zombie's head from its shoulders.

"Thanks," Shamir said as she shoved away the dead woman.

"Not gonna let some undead floozy feel you up and get away with it," Catherine said jokingly, which made Shamir scowl at her.

Behind the Knights, the first-year students were forced to battle with the undead. Some were doing acceptably, able to strike down a few such that they stayed dead, but it wasn't so with everyone. Ingrid let out a shriek as one of the undead thralls attempted to rip her left arm off before Felix slashed off the zombie's arm and then lopped off its head. Bernadetta screamed repeatedly as she tried to crawl away from a zombie that had tackled her, kicking frantically at it until Edelgard slammed her axe into the zombie's back, splitting the undead thrall's torso in half. Raphael let out several loud grunts as he was jumped on by five zombies, and then he let out a loud howl of pain as one of them bit his left arm. He began throwing them off him as Balthus grabbed two of them and threw them toward a burning building, setting the undead ablaze.

"Sheesh, never thought I'd have to fight something that's already dead," said Balthus. "Gotta say, it's no fun."

"You okay there, Muscles?" Hapi asked Raphael.

"Y-Yeah!" Raphael said loudly as he threw another zombie away, allowing Lorenz to blast it with a small firebolt. "Just a little bite, that's all."

Hapi's eyes widened at hearing this as she said, "Oh, that's not good."

"W-What? What's not good?"

"I've heard old stories that if you're bitten by the undead, you'll turn into one."

Raphael's expression of shock and dismay spoke for him.

"That's just an old wives' tale!" said Anna, prompting the others to look at her as she returned with Byleth, Dorothea, Dimitri, Marianne, Petra, Claude, and Ignatz.

"Anna, you're back!" said Mercedes. "Thank goodness you found everyone."

"You sure I'm not gonna turn into a zombie?" asked Raphael.

"Not unless you die," Anna replied. "Getting bitten by one won't turn you into the undead. That's just superstition."

Raphael let out a loud sigh of relief at this.

"Even so, I'd better have a look at that," said Dorothea as she channeled a healing spell on Raphael's wound.

"Thanks, Dorothea," Raphael said with a friendly smile.

"Professor Eisner, Dorothea, are you two alright?" asked Edelgard.

"We're okay," said Byleth.

"Only asking about them, Princess? I'm crushed," said Claude.

"I knew you would find some way to weasel out of the clutches of these… things," said Edelgard. Claude made an amused smile at this.

"Professor, we are not having the training in fighting the non-dead," said Petra.

"Yeah, what's with these things?!" Caspar said as he punched away another zombie. "I keep hitting them and they don't stay down!"

"Brute force will only get you so far against the undead," said Anna. "Listen everyone, I've faced things like this before. They're weak to fire and holy magic."

"I can muster such spells," Constance said gloomily. "However, many of our companions, valorous as they are, are unable to wield such magic."

"Doesn't mean you can't help. This is gonna sound brutal, but you gotta hack off their arms and heads. If they lose those, they can't hurt anyone. We then have to burn the bodies so they can't rise again."

"M-Miss Anna!" Marianne said in shock.

"That would be a desecration of their remains!" said Ferdinand.

"I know it sounds like overkill," said Anna, "but trust me. It's how it's done on other continents." Then, muttering to herself, Anna said, "Guess I should be glad these things aren't the Risen…"

Nodding to this, Byleth said, "You heard her. Use fire and holy spells or use blades to take off their limbs. Archers are to use fire arrows. Raphael, Caspar, Balthus, you all start throwing the bodies onto that pyre!"

Byleth pointed at a roaring fire inside a nearby house.

"What about Solon?" Dorothea asked as she finished healing Raphael.

"We'll deal with him once we've regained control of the situation."

Dorothea gave a reluctant nod at this. She wanted to go after the necromancer, but she knew Byleth was right. The undead were too numerous; they had to thin their numbers first.

As Byleth shouted out her orders, Anna took this moment to dart toward Jeralt. Dorothea and Byleth noticed this, but they decided to tend to their own fight.

Upon reaching Jeralt, Anna said, "Jeralt, we've got big trouble heading this way from the southwest."

"More trouble than a horde of undead?" Jeralt said as he cut down another zombie.

Anna was about to explain when the loud sound of whinnying horses caught their attention. Jeralt and Anna turned to see the Death Knight had stopped upon entering the village far ahead of his cavalrymen.

He then said, "My blade craves their flesh… The weak will wither and die…!"

Grimacing, Anna said, "Yeah, a lot more trouble."

"Hmm, so that's the Death Knight," said Jeralt.

"Jeralt, be careful. He's REALLY good. Don't hold back against him."

"Thanks for the advice, Anna. I'll keep my guard up, as always."

At that moment, the Death Knight's subordinates rode into view, charging forward with shouts for battle as the Death Knight bellowed, "TO THEIR DEATHS!"

The black armored horsemen rushed directly for the soldiers and students as Jeralt shouted, "Shield wall! SHIELD WALL!"

Despite still being in battle with the undead, the Church soldiers quickly moved to their positions, bringing their shields together and leveling their lances to meet the oncoming cavalry charge. But the Death Knight's cavalry did not slow down, plowing through any undead that got in their way as they charged. From anyone else's perspective, the charge seemed suicidal; the fifty or so horsemen that the Death Knight led were heavily outnumbered by the Church soldiers, who still had around 250 men. At least 80 of them were making up the shield wall, making an impressive bulwark lined with lances that were ready to cut down the oncoming horses.

Then, the Death Knight rode out in front of his men, his scythe crackling with dark energy. He made a large swing of the Scythe of Sariel, sending a massive crescent-shaped wave of dark energy at the shield wall. The attack cleaved through the front line of shields like a hot knife through soft butter, instantly killing over 20 Church soldiers and breaking the formation.

The cavalry plowed into Church's broken line, with many Church soldiers being killed quickly by either the cavalry or the undead.

Seeing the line being broken, Jeralt shouted, "Archers! Aim high!"

Shamir and her archers immediately readied their bows and fired a volley at the Death Knight's cavalry. Several cavalrymen were hit and brought down but any arrows that struck the Death Knight himself broke upon his armor. The Death Knight made another wide swing with his scythe, cleaving three Church soldiers in two with a single blow.

Grimacing, Jeralt readied his lance and urged his horse forward, charging at the Death Knight. The Death Knight was about to cut down four more soldiers when he realized Jeralt's approach, and he swung around to block the Blade Breaker's strike with his scythe.

"That's far enough, Jeritza," Jeralt said coldly.

"The Blade Breaker…" said the Death Knight. "Do try and make this challenging for me."

"Be careful what you wish for!"

Jeralt made another strike at the Death Knight as he said this, his blow blocked again by the Scythe of Sariel. The Death Knight countered with a slash, which Jeralt deftly deflected with his shield. The two horsemen then began a series of clashes. Each of their blows was expertly made and each block was calculated. Neither of them could gain an advantage. Jeralt's experience and strength matched the Death Knight's ruthlessness and ferocity.

Then, as the two separated from another clash, the Death Knight said, "Not bad. Show me more of your strength, Blade Breaker."

Jeralt tightened his grip on his lance as he prepared for the Death Knight's next onslaught.

…

From his place in the rear of the village, Solon watched as the Death Knight clashed with Jeralt and scowled. He hadn't expected the Blade Breaker would give them so much trouble, but his forces had almost finished bringing down his undead minions. The Death Knight's cavalrymen were also withdrawing, but this was expected; it had always been the plan for them to make a quick strike and then retreat to avoid too many losses.

He then looked toward Byleth and the first-year students and realized he had misjudged her power. She was now cleaving through the undead rapidly with her blade, despite that it was clearly not at its full power. Meanwhile, her students had changed their tactics and now were effectively putting down his undead minions. A few had been injured, of course, but none of Byleth's students had been killed. Trying to raise the dead Church soldiers now would demand more of his resources than he was willing to part with.

"Lord Solon, should we retreat now?" asked one of Solon's subordinates.

Solon placed a hand to his chin as he pondered. Logically, it would make sense for him to retreat now. But he still had not fully gauged Byleth's power. He needed to learn more.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the broken bodies of the third-year students from Garreg Mach. They had not yet been raised as undead.

"No, not yet…" said Solon. "I have one more experiment to perform."

Solon then raised his hand, channeling his dark magic. As he did, the remaining undead that were attacking the Church soldiers suddenly ceased their attack, and then began shambling back toward the bodies of the third-year students.

Upon seeing the zombies retreating, Lorenz said, "Ha! Look at them run!"

"They're pulling back!" Annette said thankfully. "We did it!"

As the other students expressed their relief, Byleth looked at Anna and saw the redhead's expression of concern.

"Anna?" asked Byleth.

"Something's wrong," said Anna. "Undead don't retreat on their own. They don't feel pain, they don't know fear. Solon must be up to something."

Then, as if on cue, the group heard Solon's voice booming through the village, amplified by magic. The necromancer was again channeling a great deal of dark magic that could be seen from the other side of the village.

"It seems I underestimated you beasts," said Solon. "Your struggling is proving most irritating. But let us see how you handle THIS!"

Solon then unleashed a powerful sphere of dark magic into the center of his remaining undead. The zombies, along with the dismembered bodies of the third-year students, were lifted off the ground and began to combine around the sphere. The ripping of flesh and breaking of bone filled the air as the corpses were twisted and reshaped. Blood and guts spilled from around the dark sphere as the bodies were merged in a blasphemous, gruesome display.

As the Church soldiers and the students watched in horror, the bodies combined to create a massive corpulent monstrosity as big as a large house. It looked vaguely humanoid, but numerous dismembered limbs and torn flesh lined its body, sewn together by dark magical threads. Its head was a grotesque mockery of a human face with a pair of rotting eyes. Its chest cavity was split open, revealing its guts and what looked to be its ribs protruding from its flesh.

The sight of the gigantic undead monster made Marianne faint instantly, and she fell into a concerned Dimitri's arms.

"Now go, my Abomination!" shouted Solon. "And crush these beasts to pulp!"

The Abomination let out a loud growl as it looked toward the Church soldiers. It then reached its right hand to what looked to be a giant bone sticking out of its side and pulled it out of its flesh, revealing it to be a huge cleaver made of bone.

Then, in a tone that made everyone shudder in fear, the Abomination growled as it said, "FREEESH MEEEAAATTT!"

* * *

_I hope I don't get sued by Blizzard for this. ;)_

_I also hope I'm not gonna give too many of you nightmares with all this. But seriously, imagine having to fight an Abomination (ala Warcraft) in Fire Emblem. Yes, an Abom like Stitches, not the Butcher demon from Diablo._

_And yes, Jeralt versus the Death Knight. I know I didn't make it all too descriptive, but that would've dragged it out too long. Use your imagination. :)_

_And finally, yes, a reference to FE:Awakening. Good thing these aren't the Risen, indeed._


	75. The Remire Calamity, Part 3

_Again, this part is not for the squeamish. You have been warned._

* * *

**Chapter 75 – The Remire Calamity, Part 3 (Red Wolf Moon)**

Anna, unnerved by the sight of the Abomination, said, "Whoa, that's a new one."

"You haven't seen this before?" Byleth asked with concern.

"Not something like this. I don't think a few spells or fire arrows are gonna cut it here."

The Abomination let out a dark chortle as it began lumbering toward the Church soldiers, who responded with a hail of flaming arrows. Though many hit their mark, the obese monster was unaffected by the shots, with any flames quickly dissipating and failing to set the beast aflame.

"TEAR MEAT!" the Abomination shouted as it swung its cleaver at the first line of soldiers, smashing them into the ground in a bloody display of force.

"Fall back! Fall back!" one soldier shouted as he fled from the monster.

The soldiers turned and ran, but one unlucky soldier screamed as he was grabbed by the Abomation's left hand. The Abomination squeezed hard, crushing the man's bones in its grip, before raising him to its mouth and then chomping down, devouring the unfortunate soldier from the waist up, armor and all. It then threw away the legs of the corpse as it continued its advance.

As more flaming arrows struck the Abomination, the beast reached for another bone that was protruding out of its flesh and pulled it out, revealing it to be a bone-made meat hook. Attached to the hook were ropes of flesh that acted like a chain. It then threw its hook out at a group of soldiers. The hook went flying past one soldier but then was quickly yanked back, causing the hook to impale the soldier as he was sent flying toward the Abomination, along with two others who got caught by the hook. It then slammed the hook and the soldiers to the ground before slicing them in half with its cleaver.

"MORE! KILL MORE!" it shouted, sending panic through the soldiers.

"Yes, my minion!" shouted Solon. "Slaughter all of these beasts!"

The Abomination let out a roar and continued to charge at the fleeing Church soldiers. It was now getting dangerously close to the students' position. To their horror, they could see the pieces of the third-year students that had become part of its body sticking out of various parts of its flesh. Arms, hair, and even a ruined face or two were visible on the monster's sides.

Byleth, seeing Jeralt was still in battle with the Death Knight, shouted, "Spread out! Surround it! And watch out for that hook!"

As she said this, and as the students moved to the sides to try and flank the Abomination, the monster swung its cleaver at Byleth, who dodged away from the clumsy blow.

"KILL… FELL STAR!" said the Abomination as its rotting eyes centered on Byleth.

It made several more swings at Byleth, but each one was clumsy and slow, so Byleth could easily dodge them. She did not retaliate, choosing instead to draw the beast's attention while the others got around it.

Seeing the others were now in position, she shouted, "NOW!"

The students unleashed their attack upon the Abomination. Swords, arrows, axes, lances and spells all began hammering away at the Abomination. But to the students' dismay, most of their attacks were having little effect.

After slashing the monster with Luin and then pulling back on Celdia's reins, Ingrid shouted, "This thing's tough!"

"We're barely doing anything to it!" shouted Ignatz as he released another arrow, hitting the Abomination in the forehead to no effect.

"Then let's see how it likes this!" shouted Lysithea as she cast a Seraphim spell at it.

The spell struck the Abomination dead center. The beast howled in pain from the holy magic, dropping its meat hook as it turned toward the short white-haired mage. Lysithea turned to run, but she wasn't quick enough, and the Abomination grabbed her left arm. The girl screamed as her arm was crushed in its grip, with several bones cracking as she was lifted toward the Abomination's maw.

Realizing her imminent demise, Lysithea screamed in panic, "WAIT! NO! LET ME GO! DON'T EAT ME! I'M NOT A SNACK!"

As the others attacked in an attempt to make the Abomination drop Lysithea, Byleth swung her whip blade at the Abomination's arm, wrapping the blades around the monster's wrist. The blade glowed red hot as Byleth yanked back hard, causing the serrated edges of the Sword of the Creator to rip into the Abomination's wrist and slice it apart.

The Abomination and Lysithea both screamed, the former in agony, the latter in panic. Lysithea's shrieks were abruptly cut off as Balthus ran over and caught the girl in his arms before dashing away from the Abomination, which was spurting blood from the stump in its arm.

"You okay, little lady?" Balthus asked Lysithea, who could only blush in response to being rescued. Then, as Lysithea let out a loud wince of pain, Balthus said, "Yeah, I'll take that as a no. Better get that arm looked at."

Balthus retreated with Lysithea in his arms as the others continued to strike at the Abomination. Felix slashed several times at the monster's flesh, cutting open several gashes in its side, but this had little effect on it. Fire spells from Mercedes, Lorenz and Constance peppered the monster, yet these did not set its flesh ablaze, while other spells from the others hammered away with minimal effect. Another Seraphim spell from Hapi hit the Abomination's left leg; this blow made the beast howl in pain from the holy magic as it was forced to kneel.

Letting out a groan of anger, the Abomination whirled around with alarming speed and surged its whole body forward at Hapi. As it did, its exposed ribcage bones opened like a set of jaws, ready to crunch down on the dark-skinned girl. Before it could strike, Hapi was scooped off her feet by Alois, who tackled her out of the way. The Abomination's ribcage jaws missed them both, and instead it only got a load of dirt into its chest.

Groaning, Hapi looked at Alois as he let out a chuckle and said, "Looks like I just snatched you from the 'jaws' of doom!"

Irately, Hapi said, "Are you trying to make me sigh?!"

"Err, sorry. Not the time for jokes, I suppose."

"Ugh. Actually, a sigh right now might not be such a bad idea."

"Now, now, let's not make things even more hectic than they are."

The exchange was interrupted by the sound of ripping flesh, and the two turned to see the Abomination's left arm was rippling, as though something were pushing its way through its flesh toward its bleeding stump. A rippling bulge made its way to the end of the Abomination's arm, and a new hand sprouted from the bloody stump, twitching as it emerged.

"Oh, that's just great…" Hapi said sardonically.

"It grew a new hand?!" said Hilda as the Abomination retrieved its meat hook. "That's just not right!"

"We gotta find some way to put this thing down!" shouted Catherine.

The Crusader then delivered a hard slash to the Abomination's side, opening a wide cut that began to regenerate shortly afterward. Catherine grimaced as she backed off, while several Church soldiers began to strike at the monster. The Abomination spun around and slashed its meat hook through an unfortunate pair of soldiers, cleaving them in two down the sides of their torsos.

"Professor, this isn't working!" Dorothea said fearfully. "What are we going to do?"

Byleth grimaced as she tried to think. No matter what damage the students were inflicting, the Abomination wasn't taking any meaningful damage. It just kept regenerating from anything they did to it. While it could feel pain, unlike the lesser undead, pain alone wasn't going to stop it.

"Professor?" Dorothea asked with even more concern.

Byleth's attention was finally caught when she heard the Abomination let out a deep laugh. It then shouted, "RIIIP! TEAR! MORE!"

The Abomination then reached down to pick up two of the Church soldier corpses, scooping them up with its meat hook so it could consume them. As it raised them above its head, however, Byleth noticed something in the center of its opened chest, around where its heart was supposed to be. Part of the monsters' guts had become exposed, revealing a glowing black mass of magic in place of its heart. As it ate the two dead soldiers, the guts began to fill in, regenerating a protective cover around the magical core.

"There! In its chest!" shouted Byleth. "There's something where its heart should be! That must be its weakpoint!" As everyone turned their attention to her, Byleth shouted, "Mages, on my mark, concentrate your spells on its chest! Everybody else, keep hacking away at it! It needs to take material away from other parts of its body in order to regenerate!"

"We're on it, Professor!" shouted Dimitri as he slashed his lance again at the monster's side, opening a large gash that soon afterward regenerated.

As the monster's flesh regenerated, the others saw that part of the material covering its chest receded. It wasn't much, but it was noticeable.

"Teach is right!" shouted Claude. "It can't regenerate itself from nothing! Keep hitting it!"

"Archers concentrate your fire on its arms. Try to take its limbs off!" shouted Byleth.

"On it," Shamir said tersely as she readied another fire arrow.

"You've got it, Professor!" shouted Ashe.

Arrows flew at the Abomination's right arm as it raised its cleaver for another strike, many hitting around the same spot on its sagging flesh and tearing a large chunk out of its arm. Edelgard, Hilda and Dedue let out shouts as they swung their axes at the Abomination's stomach, the girls activating their Minor Crests of Seiros and Goneril, respectively, as they tore off large chunks of flesh. Ingrid and Sylvain slashed their respective Heroes' Relics at the monster's back, ripping off slabs of meat from its torso.

The Abomination growled in pain as it began to repurpose its guts into new material for its body. As its wounds regenerated, the guts in the middle of its chest receded, exposing its core.

"NOW!" Byleth shouted, signaling for the mages to attack.

The mages all released their spells at the Abomination's chest. Combinations of Anima, holy and dark magic smashed into the monster's chest cavity, and it released a howl of agony as it was struck hard. The core within its chest began to fluctuate wildly, and as it did, the dark threads that held the Abomination together began to fade. It was on the verge of breaking up.

Byleth chose her moment then. She swung the Sword of the Creator and sent the whip blade forward like an arrow. At first, it appeared as if she missed her mark as her blade's tip went past the black mass, but then the Sword of the Creator began to wrap itself around the magical core, entangling it within its segmented blades. As soon as the core had been wrapped up by the blades, Byleth let out a shout and pulled back on her blade, causing the Sword of the Creator to rip the core out of the Abomination's chest. Byleth then swung her blade again in the same pull, and the Sword of the Creator eviscerated the core in mid-air.

The Abomination let out a final agonizing groan as it came to a halt, dropping its meat hook and cleaver. And then its body began to fall apart. The dark threads vanished, and the Abomination broke apart into a disgusting pile of guts and blood.

"We… we did it…!" Dorothea said as she panted in exhaustion. "It's finally down!"

As the others began to cheer at their victory, however, Byleth dashed through the crowd. Dorothea noticed and immediately realized where Byleth was going.

She ran after Byleth as the teacher rushed toward Solon's position.

…

From where he stood, Solon let out a grin at seeing the Abomination's defeat, even as his subordinates voiced their concern. He had not expected it to win; it was merely meant to cause further casualties for the Church, and to let him see just how strong Byleth really was. He now had a good grasp of her capabilities.

Now the Fell Star was heading his way, and she looked as mad as a hornet. Seeing her so angry brought a special satisfaction to Solon.

Solon's subordinates moved to engage Byleth as she reached them. A black-armored Fortress Knight swung his axe at her, but Byleth quickly evaded the blow and swung a hand toward him, releasing a Thunder spell at close range. The Fortress Knight cried out as he was electrocuted. A swordsman then tried to cut Byleth down, but she parried two strikes from him and then bisected him through his waist. An archer fired at her, but to his shock, Byleth caught the arrow just before it would have hit her left breast and snapped in two. She then rushed forward at the archer before he could ready another shot and punched him in the head, sending him to the ground before she stomped down on his chest.

In panic, the archer said, "Wait! Wait, NO – GAH!"

Byleth mercilessly drove her blade through the man's heart, killing him instantly.

"Why you…!" shouted another swordsman as he slashed at her.

Byleth simply leaned to the side, deftly avoiding the strike before raising her left hand, which still had the broken arrow shaft in her hand and jamming the bodkin arrowhead into the man's neck. The man gasped as his throat was pierced and he struggled to breathe before Byleth pushed him over, leaving him to bleed out on the ground.

Now only Solon was left. He gave her a loud smirk, goading her to attack.

As Byleth let out a furious shout, Dorothea came out of cover, having witnessed Byleth's fight with Solon's subordinates, and shouted, "Professor, wait!"

Byleth did not listen and angrily swung the Sword of the Creator at Solon. A mere foot before it would have hit him, it struck the necromancer's barrier.

As she pushed harder on the sword, trying to breach Solon's defense, Byleth said furiously, "Why have you gone after this village? What are you planning, Solon?! Why have you made these people suffer?!"

"Heh, you think it has anything to do with this place?" said Solon. "I could have conducted this experiment on any test subjects. Now that I have what I came for, I must bid you farewell."

Then, to Byleth's surprise, a magical circle began to form under Solon's feet. She recognized the pattern immediately: a teleportation spell.

She shouted "WAIT!" just as Solon vanished, his barrier disappearing as he did, sending her stumbling forward as her blade hit nothing but air.

Byleth let out a series of livid breaths as she stood before Dorothea. Then, just as the singer was about to say something to her, Byleth looked skyward as she let out a scream of outrage that could be heard for miles.

The sight left Dorothea terrified. She had never seen Byleth so angry before.

…

The sound of Byleth's scream caught the attention of both Jeralt and the Death Knight. Jeralt did not let down his guard as the Death Knight looked to see Solon had vanished, and his Abomination was now nothing more than a pile of guts that the Church soldiers were now setting on fire to ensure it didn't rise again.

"It appears the Ashen Demon is victorious," said the Death Knight.

Keeping one eye on the Death Knight, Jeralt turned to see Byleth standing before Dorothea on the far side of town. The singer was now approaching her cautiously.

"I have indulged myself for too long here," the Death Knight added. "I do hope we will meet again in battle, Blade Breaker."

Jeralt spun back around to the Death Knight to see black mist beginning to form around him. Realizing the Death Knight was about to warp away, Jeralt charged again at him.

"Wait!" shouted Jeralt, but it was too late. The Death Knight vanished in his cloud of mist. "Dammit!"

For a good ten seconds, Jeralt sat atop his horse as he let his adrenaline settle. Then, hearing a familiar set of approaching footsteps, he did not turn as Anna ran up to him.

"Jeralt, are you okay?" asked Anna.

"I'm fine, Anna," said Jeralt. "The Death Knight escaped."

"Yeah, I saw that. That guy has an annoying habit of doing that. Solon's gone too. Looks like the battle's over… for now."

"Let's see to the survivors. And get the troops searching the village for anyone else who might still be alive."

Anna nodded and followed Jeralt as he rode back toward the Knights' camp.

* * *

_Told you it wasn't gonna be for the squeamish._

_I know some nameless reviewer thought I was gonna have Solon copying Grima, but that's not the case. Solon doesn't even know of Grima's existence, and would probably see him as little better than the other "beasts". Solon's necromancy is less complicated than Grima and the Risen; it's more based on things like the Scourge from Warcraft III._

_Also, in regards to Jeralt, I'm going to have next chapter touch on a few things with him (i.e. why he's still working for Rhea despite what happened to Sitri)._


	76. Reasons

_I hope I didn't screw this up too much. Hard scenes to write._

* * *

**Chapter 76 – Reasons (Red Wolf Moon)**

Following the battle in Remire, the soldiers of the Church were busy throwing the bodies of the dead onto large burning piles, not wanting them to rise again. The first-year students, all who had once again survived, were tending to their injuries. Petra had been badly hurt when one of the Church archers accidentally shot her with a stray arrow to her leg. Mercedes had been bitten by one of the undead thralls during the battle and was mending her own wounds. Raphael had taken several bites, so Manuela had insisted on checking his injuries to ensure he didn't get an infection. Cyril, who had joined to assist the Knights, had been struck across the head during the initial battle with the maddened villagers, and now he was being treated by Flayn. Marianne, who had fainted at the sight of the Abomination, was recovering with Hilda by her side. Lastly, Bernadetta had, in her panic, accidentally run right into a small fire, resulting in second-degree burns on her leg; thankfully, Linhardt's healing prevented any lingering scarring.

Far from the Church's camp, Dorothea made a sigh of relief at learning the other first-year students were alright. The soldiers had even managed to take some of the crazed villagers alive as captives. But then she looked back at the funeral pyre that the soldiers were throwing corpses on, and the scope of the massacre hit her hard.

"So many dead…" Dorothea said with sorrow.

Wanting to take her mind off the pile of bodies, Dorothea turned to see Byleth was talking with Anna and Jeralt. The three were discussing Solon's role in the calamity.

"This Solon guy really pisses me off," said Anna as Dorothea approached the group. "I've seen some pretty nasty types, but he just takes it to a whole new level."

"That monster…" Byleth murmured angrily. "He has to pay for what he's done."

Jeralt said nothing as he watched his daughter intently.

Then, the clanking of metal could be heard approaching them as a mechanical voice said, "There you are."

Recognizing the voice immediately, Dorothea whipped around in surprise to see the Flame Emperor approaching the four of them. His glowing axe was in his left hand.

"You…!" Dorothea said in accusation.

As he and the others turned to look at him, Jeralt said, "That armor. So, you're the Flame Emperor."

"I am," the Flame Emperor replied. "I–"

Interrupting, Dorothea said furiously, "You're behind all of this, aren't you?!"

"Do not get the wrong idea."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anna said warily.

"It is true that I am working with Solon, but that does not mean our objectives are the same. Had I known he and his ilk had planned to do this, I would have stopped it. You have my word."

"Your word?!" Dorothea spat. "Is your word going to bring back everyone who was… was slaughtered here?!"

"Dorothea…" Byleth said in muted astonishment at the girl's fury.

"This village was peaceful, full of families, and your lackeys just turned it into a graveyard!"

"Solon is not my subordinate," said the Flame Emperor. "We merely work together at present. As I told you before, I would never have allowed him to commit this atrocity had I known his intentions."

"I don't believe you! The Death Knight was part of this slaughter, and you expect us to believe you when you say you didn't know about it?!"

"That's enough, Arnault," Jeralt said commandingly. Then, turning back to the Death Knight, he said, "Now then, Flame Emperor, I'll have to insist you accompany us back to the monastery."

"I cannot abide that," said the Flame Emperor. "However, if you wish to join forces, I will hear your plea."

"What?! Who do you take us for?" asked Anna.

"If left to their own devices, Solon and his ilk will commit countless more violent acts like this one." Turning to Byleth, he continued, "Do you not wish to prevent that? With the Sword of the Creator on our side, Solon and his kind would not be a threat…"

Glaring at the Flame Emperor, Byleth said lividly, "You associate with someone as vile as Solon, enable him to carry out this massacre, and expect any of us to trust you?"

"A pity, though not unexpected. Pray that you do not live to regret your choice."

The Flame Emperor then turned, as if to leave, but Dorothea drew Joyeuse and shouted, "Hold it! You can't just walk away from this!"

The Flame Emperor made no reply as he began to walk away. This gesture caused Dorothea to let out a yell as she rushed forward, intending to skewer the black-armored figure.

"Dorothea, wait!" Byleth shouted as Dorothea thrust Joyeuse forward.

In a flash, the Flame Emperor moved with incredible quickness, swinging his axe to strike Joyeuse with its blunt side. The impact of the blow not only stopped Dorothea's attack, but sent her to the ground with a yelp.

Dorothea shuddered as she tried to push herself up, but she suddenly felt her limbs go numb. She could not believe the power the Flame Emperor had exerted in his strike and he had barely swatted her with no intent to harm. The realization of it terrified Dorothea. How could he be so strong with so little effort?

"I do not wish to make you my enemy," said the Flame Emperor. "I pray in time that you will come to understand that."

The Flame Emperor then raised his axe above his head, surrounding himself in a pillar of fire. Seconds later, the pillar and the Flame Emperor vanished.

…

"Dorothea, are you alright?" Byleth asked the singer once they were back at camp.

"I'll be okay, Professor," Dorothea replied. "He didn't hurt me, but…"

"But…?"

"When he countered my strike, I felt like… like my whole body went numb. He wasn't even trying, and he swatted me aside like I was nothing." Dorothea then let out a sigh as she said, "I've been training so hard and fighting so much, but I still feel so… so weak. If I were just stronger, maybe we could've saved more lives here. Maybe we wouldn't have had to kill so many of them."

"Dorothea, I–"

Just then, the two were interrupted as Alois said, "Professor, there you are!"

"Alois, what's going on?"

"It's the prisoners! They're… they're all dead!"

"What?!"

"We were trying to rouse a few of them for questioning when, all of a sudden, their hearts all just seemed to give out on them. I don't know how to explain it. Manuela tried to help them, but…"

Dorothea's eyes widened with shock at the news, while Byleth's face filled with anger.

"Solon… it had to be him," Byleth hissed.

In muted shock, Dorothea said, "Y-You mean… n-no matter what we did, they were going to die…?"

Alois said nothing to this, but his expression said it all.

"It's not fair… We fought so hard to save them and they still…" Bursting into tears, Dorothea continued, "I-It was all f-for nothing…!"

"Dorothea, that's not true!" said Byleth, abandoning her anger for sympathy.

"She's right, Dorothea," said Alois. "The other villagers, the ones who weren't infected, are all fine. We'll be bringing them back to the monastery with us."

Dorothea's sobbing slowed as Byleth put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Dorothea, what happened to the prisoners is not your fault. No one could have known what would happen to them. But you did everything you could to help them, and that's what matters."

"P-Professor…"

"Come on, maybe the survivors could use a little more help."

"O-Okay…"

Attempting to recompose herself, Dorothea followed Byleth to the section of the camp where the refugees of Remire were being treated. Many of them were despondent at losing their homes and at seeing their loved ones cut down. Each of them had an expression that did little to ease Dorothea's pain.

She knew what they were thinking: Why couldn't they have come sooner?

"M-Mommy! I want my Mommy!" came a child's voice.

"P-Papa… Why did you have to…" said a second child.

"My family, all of them, gone…" said a grown man.

The others were murmuring similar sentiments, with many orphaned children crying for their parents. It was a sound that tore at Dorothea's heart. She knew what it meant to be an orphan, cold, hungry and alone. Now she stood before so many who had lost everything.

"Don't bother!" said an elderly man as Ashe tried to give him some stew. "I've got nothing left! My daughter, my grandkids, they're all dead! I should be dead too!"

Alarmed, Ashe said, "No, sir, you mustn't–"

"It's all over for us…" said a pale-faced woman. "We've nothing left…"

"It would've been better if I'd have burned along with our home!" said a despairing man.

"Everyone, please, calm down!" said Ashe.

"Please, don't give up hope," said Mercedes.

The other students tried to offer their condolences, but it was clear it wasn't enough. The villagers all looked as though all hope had been lost.

Then, to Byleth's alarm, she saw one of the villagers struggling with Alois over a dagger. The villager was trying to commit suicide.

Grunting, Alois said, "Please, ma'am, you mustn't–"

"Let me go!" said the woman. "I want to be with my children again!"

Alois managed to wrest the knife from the woman's grasp and restrained her, but the sight of the suicide attempt drove the villagers further into despair.

Then, as Byleth was about to step in to try and diffuse the situation, Dorothea began to stride forward as she started to sing.

_Tue lei ze croa riou tue ze_

_Croa riou ze tue riou lei neu riou ze_

_Va lei ze tue neu tue riou tue croa_

_Riou lei croa riou ze lei va ze lei_

_Va neu va lei va neu va ze lei_

_Croa riou croa neu tue lei croa riou ze lei va_

_Lei va neu croa tue lei lei_

Her voice carried across the camp, and the villagers went silent at the sound of her melody. All eyes gazed upon Dorothea as she sang her somber lullaby, a song she had learned a long time ago. Legends said it was a song meant to soothe injured hearts, despite that no one seemed to know the meaning of the ancient lyrics.

Dorothea sung the verse again.

_Tue lei ze croa riou tue ze_

_Croa riou ze tue riou lei neu riou ze_

_Va lei ze tue neu tue riou tue croa_

_Riou lei croa riou ze lei va ze lei_

_Va neu va lei va neu va ze lei_

_Croa riou croa neu tue lei croa riou ze lei va_

_Lei va neu croa tue lei lei_

To the relief of the first-year students, the villagers seemed to settle down. The children's cries turned to silent sniffles, and the villagers' woes became subdued.

Dorothea continued to sing, soothing the hearts of the villagers as Edelgard walked onto the scene from behind a tent. Upon seeing Dorothea's performance, Edelgard was left stunned. The singer stood pristine among the villagers, her voice carrying throughout the camp, healing the hearts of the refugees, if only a little.

As Dorothea kept on singing, Edelgard shut her eyes and clenched her hand to her chest, thankful no one could see her face twist with regret.

…

Byleth had been pulled aside by Jeralt later that evening as the soldiers led the refugees back toward Garreg Mach. As she went to speak with her father, she saw Dorothea comforting several of Remire's orphaned children with a story. The sight brought a smile to Byleth's face.

As she reached Jeralt, the Blade Breaker said, "Hey. I've been meaning to talk to you. Since coming to the monastery… you've changed."

"Changed? How so?"

"You've been angry since we first arrived in Remire Village. And you look so happy when you're instructing the brats. Before the monastery, I'd never seen you bear your emotions like that."

"I… You might be right, Father."

"Then perhaps it's a good thing we came to the monastery. Or maybe there was never any reason for us to leave the monastery in the first place…"

Byleth said nothing to this, remembering what Rhea had told them after Jeralt had buried Sitri. She knew Jeralt was still angry with Rhea for withholding the truth on Sitri's death.

"Father? Why have you decided to stay at the monastery?" asked Byleth.

"Hmm?"

"You were furious with Rhea when she told you about Mother. I'd have thought you'd have wanted to leave after that."

Jeralt sighed as he said, "The thought certainly crossed my mind. Rhea betrayed my trust in her, that's for certain. But… like I said, you're so happy when you're teaching the brats."

"F-Father…" Byleth couldn't help smiling at this.

"I felt I could put up with Rhea if it meant seeing your face lit up like that. And besides…"

"Besides… what?"

"I think there's more to Rhea's story than she's letting on. About why she's so interested in you, why you're able to wield that sword. I'm worried for you, Byleth. I'm worried Rhea might want you for something. Something bad."

Byleth was silent at this.

"Listen, you let me worry about Rhea. I'll figure out what she wants from you. You just focus on those brats of yours, alright? I have a feeling they're gonna be needing you, especially that singing girl."

"Thank you, Father."

Byleth turned to go back to camp, leaving Jeralt to his thoughts.

Then, out of the shadows, a familiar redhead said, "Way to lay it all out for her, Jeralt."

Knowing the merchant had been listening in, Jeralt said, "It wouldn't do me any good to keep what I know from her. Even if I don't know what Rhea's up to." The two stood side by side for a moment before Jeralt said, "Listen, Anna, thanks for your help today. That could've been a lot worse for us."

"Always happy to help, Jeralt. Especially against dirtbags like that."

"I'll make sure the Church compensates you for your help."

"Aww, that's sweet of you." Anna winked and brought her index finger to her cheek as she said this. Then, as fatigue began to wash over her, Anna yawned and said, "Well, I think I'm gonna call it a night. How about you?"

"I'm on first watch for the night. Go get yourself some shut-eye."

"Thanks, Jeralt. Nighty-night."

Anna then strode away from Jeralt, but as she approached the camp, she caught sight of Flayn healing one of the wounded soldiers with her magic.

The redhead furrowed her brow as she watched the green-haired girl, wondering why Solon had needed her blood. She already had a few suspicions about Flayn, but she knew it wouldn't help to jump to conclusions. Even if Flayn was what Anna thought she was, it still didn't explain why Solon needed her blood specifically.

* * *

_Who here can tell where that song came from? Take a guess in your reviews._

_Yes, I'm inserting Dorothea again into cutscenes that don't entirely make sense, but this insert is pretty important later on._

_And yes, Solon rigged those people to die no matter what our heroes did. What an asshole, right?_

* * *

_**SPOILERS AHEAD!**_

* * *

_I know you guys think Jeralt should know what Rhea is, but let's consider this for a moment: he doesn't know what a Nabatean is at all. He's never met one knowing what they really are, he's never met a Manakete, and there are more green-haired people at the monastery than just Rhea, Seteth and Flayn (there's also Linhardt). Also, for those who say he should've been suspicious of Sitri's ears, maybe he just thought those were a weird physical quirk. Additionally, he did not see Sitri's body before it was absorbed by the Umbral Beast (part of why I changed that part of Cindered Shadows), so he doesn't know that her body never decayed and thinks it was reconstituted due to the ritual. Sitri also did not manifest the Crest of Flames despite having the Crest Stone of Sothis within her; this is something Rhea tells Byleth before the final battle of Silver Snow. __So it's plausible that Rhea can still pull the wool over Jeralt's eyes._

_Also, in regards to Anna's suspicions, Anna thinks Flayn is a Manakete, but she too doesn't know what a Nabatean is. So, this would be a case of Anna being "Entertainingly Wrong"._


	77. A Duel for Dance (Ethereal Moon)

_FINALLY, we reach the next Moon. I stretched out that in-game month far too long._

_EDIT: Ouch, this chapter took a while to actually appear. Stupid FanFictionDOTnet bugs._

* * *

**Chapter 77 – A Duel for Dance (Ethereal Moon)**

Anna took a sip of water as she sat in the library, searching through some ancient records. As a reward for her aid at Remire, Rhea had given her permission to search through some of the monastery's more sensitive records. Seteth, however, was nearby to supervise her, much to her chagrin; despite even being part of Flayn's rescue, the chief advisor was still wary of her.

Then, as she turned the page of the book she was looking through, she saw a passage with a diagram that made her eyes widen with interest.

"There you are…" she said to herself.

Anna took a quill, an inkwell and some parchment and began copying the image she had found in the book. It was of a location in the northwest part of Fódlan, in Kingdom territory.

"I trust you are not copying anything questionable, Miss Anna?" said Seteth as he moved to look at what she was drawing.

Annoyed, Anna said, "You know, it's rude to look over someone's shoulder like that. Worried I might be writing down some of the Church's dirty secrets?"

"Given what happened with Tomas, anything is possible."

"Hey, don't lump me with him."

"Regardless, there is much I do not know about you. Professor Eisner may trust you, but you keep much of your history an enigma."

"Well, that's the pot calling the kettle black."

Seteth frowned at this, deciding to drop the subject for now. Having seen what Anna was drawing, he was satisfied to know she wasn't copying Church secrets.

"What is it you are looking for in the Mateus region?" he asked.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," said Anna.

"Is that so? It may interest you to know that our last report from the Knights said that your thief, Pallardó, has fled somewhere into that region. We've yet to determine the exact location of his hideout."

Surprised, Anna said, "Really? Huh, what a coincidence…"

"Is that all you require from our records?"

"Yeah, for now. Thanks for the help."

"It is the least I can do. Your aid in Remire saved many lives, and I still owe you for your aid in rescuing Flayn from the Death Knight. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Ensure that you return that book when you are finished."

Seteth then turned and left the library. As he did, Dorothea walked past him and saw Anna at her desk.

"Anna, there you are," said the singer as she walked up to the merchant.

"Dorothea? Something I can help you with?" asked Anna.

"Yeah, there is. You know about the White Heron Cup, right?"

"That dance contest? I was asked to be one of the judges. Are you gonna be representing the Black Eagles?"

"That's the thing. You see, Constance and I were arguing over who would represent our house for the contest. It got a bit heated and, well, now I'm going to have to duel her for the role."

"Is that so? Why not ask By for help on this?"

"Because the duel was her idea, and she said if she helped me win, it would be unfair."

"Ah, I gotcha." Anna then made a sly smile and said, "Think you might use the same trick you pulled on Hilda?"

"Um, no." Dorothea blushed as she said, "Professor Byleth said she'd be counting that as a foul."

Anna made a short laugh and said, "Ah, it was worth a thought."

"The thing is, I hate to admit it, but Constance would flatten me in a straight up magical duel. We're going to be having the duel in Abyss, you see, in that old colosseum."

"Oh, now I get your problem. Constance will be all fired up instead of all gloom-and-doom out in the training grounds."

"I know I could win if I could just get close enough to use my sword, but she'll never give me that chance. And I really want this part. Please, Anna, can you help me?"

Anna let out a pensive "Hmm" as she put a finger to her cheek and pondered the dilemma. In her experience, Constance was certainly one of the best mages among the students at present, despite her usual conceit. And despite her skewed priorities, Constance was quite adept at combat. Dorothea was no slouch, but in a typical fight, Anna would've put her money on Constance.

After a minute or so of pondering, Anna snapped her fingers and said, "Oh, that'll work!"

"What will work?" asked Dorothea.

"I've got a little spell I made up that could be just the thing you need. It's pretty easy to learn, but it's a bit hazardous to use around others."

"Really? What does it do?"

"I'll show you. Come on."

Anna then put away the books she had been reading and led Dorothea off to demonstrate her spell.

…

The following afternoon saw Dorothea standing across from Constance in the center of the underground colosseum. Around them, several of the other students, as well as the Ashen Wolves, had gathered to watch the duel unfold. Byleth stood between the two women to act as a referee.

"Gonna make a bet, Balthus?" asked Yuri.

"If I had any gold left, I would," said Balthus. "Definitely would bet on Constance."

"Yeah, that'd be my bet too," said Hapi. "Coco's got this in the bag."

"Come on, Dorothea, you can beat her!" said Annette.

"Do not be losi– um, do not lose to Constance, Dorothea," said Petra.

"I do not wish to speak ill of Dorothea," said Linhardt, "but I logically believe Constance will win this duel."

"Gee, that's reassuring," said Sylvain.

Edelgard ignored the banter as she watched Dorothea ready herself for the duel.

Standing next to the singer, Anna said, "Just remember what I taught you. You'll probably only get one shot at it."

"Yeah…" Dorothea said nervously. "Wish me luck."

Then, much to Dorothea's ire, Constance let out a haughty laugh and said, "Luck will not avail you here, Arnault. The role for the White Heron Cup is as good as mine!"

As the two mages took their stances, Byleth said, "You two know the rules: whoever draws blood first, scores a direct hit, or whoever knocks the other out of the ring first is the winner. Are you ready?"

"This will be child's play," said Constance as she raised a hand, showing the Mana crackling between her fingertips.

Dorothea said nothing, keeping a tight grip on Joyeuse.

Then, Byleth raised her sword and shouted, "Begin!"

"It's time you learned your PLACE!" Constance shouted as she unleashed a barrage of fireballs at Dorothea.

Dorothea quickly raised a ward, knowing it would break easily. The ward shattered as it was struck, but it was enough to block the attack and allow Dorothea to rush forward. The singer released a Thunder spell as she ran for a broken pillar in the middle of the arena.

"I don't think so!" said Constance as she raised her ward, easily blocking Dorothea's attack. "Is that all you can muster? How about this?!"

Constance then swung her fan dramatically as she released a Sagittae spell at Dorothea. Dorothea countered with her own Sagittae spell, causing both barrages to collide with one another, cancelling them both out. This gave Dorothea the opportunity to get behind a pillar for cover.

"Hiding won't help you, Arnault! I'll just blast you out!"

Constance launched another barrage of fireballs that struck the pillar, blowing it apart and creating a thick cloud of dust. The others cheered at the duel as it progressed.

Then, a ball of light came shooting out of the dust cloud. Constance smirked, not having expected Dorothea to know Seraphim, but knowing it wouldn't be enough. She raised her ward to block the incoming attack.

To everyone's surprise, the ball of light exploded shortly before it reached Constance's barrier, releasing a deafening bang and a blinding flash as it did.

Constance let out a scream of surprise as she was blinded by the light, while her ears rang from her disorientation. Constance's ward collapsed as she lost her concentration. The others had been similarly blinded, averting their gaze and either rubbing their eyes or holding their hands over their ears.

Seconds later, Constance stopped moving as she suddenly felt the tip of Dorothea's Mythril blade touch her left cheek. Her vision returned to her and her ears stopped ringing as she saw, to her shock and dismay, that Dorothea had rushed up to her during her confusion.

With a smirk, Dorothea said, "Not so smug now, are you, Constance?"

"Y-You… this can't be…!"

"Say it."

"N-Never!"

"Say it, or I'm going to leave a really big scar on that face of yours."

Constance looked icily at Dorothea for this threat, but she soon realized she could not turn the tables on her. She let out a dejected growl and muttered, "I yield."

"Hmm? Say it louder. Let everyone else hear it."

Dorothea pressed Joyeuse's tip against Constance's cheek as she said this.

"I yield!" shouted Constance.

Annette, Sylvain, and Petra all let out cheers of joy, while Linhardt made a bemused "Huh" at seeing Dorothea had won. Meanwhile, Balthus and Hapi were in disbelief at Constance's loss, while Yuri gave an approving smile.

"Guess the part's mine, Constance," Dorothea said as she made a quick flourish with Joyeuse before sheathing it.

Letting out a furious growl, Constance said, "So be it. But you had best not embarrass yourself nor the Black Eagles when the time comes! You will win no matter what it takes!"

…

"Thank you so much for your help, Anna," Dorothea said to the merchant later that day as the two had a soak in the Abyss bathhouse. Some of the other girls were there too, with Mercedes making a few gasps as Lysithea enviously groped her.

"Someone had to feed Constance some humble pie," said Anna. "Glad I could help."

"Say, why haven't you used that spell before in any of our battles?"

"It's not exactly friendly to one's friends. You saw how it blinded everyone else in the arena, right?"

"Oh, right. I see your point."

At that moment, Byleth waded up to them and said, "I'm glad you were able to beat Constance, Dorothea."

"Professor! I thought you weren't taking sides."

"I wasn't, but I'm glad you sorted this out."

"Hey, By, why even have this duel?" asked Anna. "Surely you know Constance isn't that good of a dancer. Dorothea would've been a shoe in for the role."

"I know. But this was about more than just the White Heron Cup." Looking at Dorothea, Byleth said, "You've been arguing with her ever since you met her, and I thought you two could settle it on your own. But you two kept going at each other's throats, so…"

"Oh…" Dorothea said sheepishly. "So that's it."

"You may not like her, but she's still your classmate, Dorothea. And it's times like these that we need to be able to trust one another."

"So, wait, me beating her in a duel was some kind of trust-building exercise?"

"In a sense. I think you gained a good deal of respect from Constance today."

"Really? I thought she was pretty ticked off at losing to me."

"There's an old Hoshidan proverb that says you can learn a lot from defeat," said Anna. "Personally, I think it's a good one."

"Is that so?" Dorothea asked coyly. "Do you say that from experience?"

"H-Hey!"

Dorothea and Byleth both laughed at Anna's indignation. After a few seconds, the two stopped at hearing Leonie make a loud yelp and turned to see the Sauin girl had been slapped on the ass by Hilda. The Sauin girl was now retaliating by grabbing the pinkette's chest and squeezing much too hard, causing Hilda to make several cries of protest.

"I'd better break this up," said Byleth in a tone of exasperation as she waded over to the other girls, leaving Dorothea to have another giggle.

…

The girls were chatting amongst themselves as they came up to the surface from Abyss when Seteth approached them.

"There you are," Seteth said to Byleth and Anna.

"Seteth, what is it?" asked Byleth.

"The Knights have returned. They have determined the location of Pallardó's hideout. You and your students should prepare yourselves to march as soon as possible."

Byleth turned to the girls as she said, "You heard him. Get your things and meet us in the center of town in an hour."

"Aww, but I had plans tonight…" whined Hilda.

"Where's the hideout?" asked Anna.

"It's in the same place as that map you found in the library," said Seteth.

"Really? Huh, talk about coincidences…"

"Anna?" Dorothea asked curiously. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"I'll tell you all about it later. Come on, let's go get that jerk and get my stuff back!"

* * *

_This chapter's shorter than previous ones, but I was running into a bit of writer's block and wanted to finish by the deadline. I also wanted to avoid any heavy-handed stuff at the moment._

_Sorry if you wanted more fanservice, but I decided not to go with too much this time. ;)_

_EDIT: I feel I should note that I don't dislike Leonie. She's a really strong character and I've used her in nearly all of my runs. I just tend to make her a bit of a "Butt Monkey" here, but that doesn't mean I dislike her._

_Anyhow, the next few chapters are going to be very Anna-centric. It'll be my way of making Anna a real character in the 3H story (rather than a DLC cameo). I hope you'll enjoy my plans._


	78. A Nighttime Strike

_Blargh, stupid FanFictionDOTnet bugs._

_Anyhow, here's a bit of a battle before I get into the nitty-gritty of Anna's backstory._

* * *

**Chapter 78 – A Nighttime Strike (Ethereal Moon)**

Freshly fallen snow covered a steep hill in northwestern Faerghus, the hillside marred by several smoking craters. It had been the result of the Church soldiers attempting to ascend the hill without waiting for the students and being sent into retreat by the thieves atop it.

Byleth looked up at Pallardó's hideout, though to her it looked more like a fortress. Though the hideout's walls were made from palisades, the high ground gave them a distinct advantage. Numerous archers and a ballista protected the position from aerial assault, while the hideout bristled with manpower. And despite that the hideout was surrounded, the students weren't equipped for a siege.

But that wasn't the biggest problem. According to the Church soldiers who had attempted to assault the hideout, the thieves had a considerable store of explosive powder at their disposal. They had rolled flaming carts filled with explosives at the soldiers, inflicting serious casualties.

"Jeez, Pallardó's really dug himself in," said Anna as she looked up at the hideout with her spyglass. "Never woulda guessed he had this much stuff."

"A frontal assault on that base is suicide," Shamir said tersely. "Professor, what do you think?"

"We're not going to be attacking that place now, are we?" Linhardt asked with a yawn. "I was hoping to get some shuteye."

"I agree with Linhardt," said Lysithea. "We just spent the whole day marching here."

"Aww, come on, you guys," said Balthus. "I'm still raring to go."

"Yeah, well, not all of us have your stamina, B," said Hapi.

"Professor, maybe we should wait until morning," said Edelgard. "It's getting late, and we could all use the rest."

"No. We need to strike as soon as possible," said Byleth, much to the surprise of the others.

"Wait, what?" Hilda asked incredulously. "Did you not hear us all saying we could use a breather?"

"Yeah, By, what gives?" asked Anna.

"If we wait until morning, the thieves will have time to reassemble their defenses," said Byleth. "If we try to face them then, it will be too dangerous to assault their position. We have to hit them while they're still recovering."

"A good point, but how do you plan to do it?" asked Shamir.

"We're going to attack them at night."

…

Byleth's plan was seen by some of the students as risky, but they had to agree that it was something the thieves wouldn't expect. She allowed the students to rest for a few hours before sending a small team to sneak into the hideout. The infiltration team consisted of Shamir, Anna, Claude, Leonie, Felix, Ashe, Petra, and Hubert. Their goal would be to neutralize the thieves' defenses and open the main gate so that the rest could storm in and clear the fort. Attacks at night were considered dangerous due to poor visibility and the odds of friendly fire, but it was their best chance at taking the fort with minimal losses.

The key to the plan was deception. Byleth knew Pallardó's thieves were watching them, so the students and soldiers had to make it look like they were settling in for the night and planning to attack in the morning. This would make them lower their guard and allow the infiltration team the opportunity to get into the fort. Of course, this meant leaving the others bored as they had to sit and wait.

Dorothea looked around at the others as they waited for their chance to strike. Constance and Ferdinand were, as usual, chatting over how they would easily win the battle themselves, much to the chagrin of those around them. Ingrid was tending to Celdia as Sylvain tried to chat with her, yet the blonde ignored him. Dedue was cooking some stew for the others, which Caspar and Raphael were wolfing down eagerly. Dimitri was having a discussion with Hapi, though the others couldn't hear what it was about. Lysithea, Annette and Linhardt were all napping next to each other, a sight Dorothea found adorable. Bernadetta let out a squeak as Ignatz spoke to her, startling the purple-haired recluse and prompting the bespectacled artist to retreat from her.

Dorothea then looked back up at the hill and her expression turned to one of worry. The others had been gone for over an hour, and they had seen no sign of them. She let out a shudder as the cold swept over her, prompting her to start rubbing her hands together.

"Here, this should help," said Byleth as she came up behind Dorothea, handing her a small cup of tea.

"Thank you, Professor," said Dorothea as she gingerly took the cup and had a sip of the Albinean Berry Blend. It was a little hotter than she expected.

"You should also rub your hands against your sides, not against each other. Your hands will warm themselves that way."

"Oh, I see."

Dorothea took another sip before staring back at the hill and letting out a sigh.

She then set the cup down on a nearby table as she said, "I'm worried about them."

"They won't let us down. Just have faith in them."

"I know, I know. It's just… faith isn't exactly something I've had too much of over my life. You know my life's not exactly a happy story and… well, I don't believe in the Goddess."

"Not everyone does."

"But… I do believe in you." Dorothea turned with a smile as she said, "You've taught us all so much, Professor. You've even taught me to have faith."

Byleth couldn't find a response to this, stunned by Dorothea's sincerity.

"So, if you say this plan will work, I'll have faith in you that it'll work."

Again speechless, Byleth replied to Dorothea's words with a smile.

Then, as if to break up the moment, the students heard a loud shout coming from the thieves' hideout. It wasn't a voice they recognized.

"Oh no…" Dorothea said with worry.

Just then, the sound of an explosion roared from the hideout as fire and sparks burst from the fort's eastern wall. The thieves' powder stores had been set off.

Byleth shouted, "Everyone, move out! Assault the thieves' hideout and help the others!"

Dorothea watched as the others sprang into action immediately. Ingrid deftly leapt up onto Celdia's back and spurred the Pegasus into the air as Sylvain ran for his horse. Constance and Ferdinand did the same, respectively, while Dedue quickly covered the pot of his stew before grabbing his axe and shield. Linhardt, Lysithea and Annette, all jolted awake by the sound of the explosion, scrambled to follow the others. Bernadetta had initially been terrified by the explosion, but then she began yelping as Caspar hoisted her onto his shoulder and carried her toward the fort. The others, quickly setting aside their meals and board games, followed suit.

Dorothea then felt Byleth grab her by the wrist and, just as she realized how she had been standing around doing nothing, the singer made a yelp as Byleth pulled her along behind her.

…

Shamir jerked her head back behind a wall as an arrow struck the wood. She would have immediately fired back at her attacker, but she knew better; she was pinned down by at least three archers. Instead, she grabbed a smoke bomb from her belt and chucked it out, blinding the three archers and making them cough loudly at the distraction. She then whirled out of cover, grabbing the arrow that had struck the wall and drawing it to her bow, shooting the first archer in the forehead with it. The other two let out loud cries of pain as Petra dashed in and cut them down before retreating to cover.

Leonie let out a surprised yelp as an axe from one of the bandits broke her bow in two. Throwing the bow aside as the bandit raised his axe for another strike, Leonie drew a dagger and quickly stabbed the bandit in his knee. The axe fighter howled in pain just before the Sauin girl made another quick strike, this time into the nape of the bandit's neck. She then took the bandit's axe as he fell, deciding to use it to replace her bow for the moment.

Hubert let out a sinister laugh as he sent a Swarm _Z_ spell at two of the bandits, reveling as they cried out in agony from being bitten to death by magical insects. To his side, Felix scoffed at Hubert before countering two blows from a lance fighter and then lopping off both the man's arms at his elbows. The bandit would've been screaming at the loss of his limbs, but Felix ended the man's life as he removed his head from his neck.

As Claude and Ashe fired down at more of the bandits from atop the fort's palisade wall, they heard the rapidly approaching trample of footsteps and turned to see the Church soldiers and their classmates rushing in to attack the fort. The gate had already been opened, allowing the soldiers to pour into the fort unimpeded.

"Wow, would you look at that?" Ashe said to Claude. "The Professor's plan is working perfectly!

"I'll be honest with you, Ashe, I couldn't have done better myself," said Claude. "She really came through with–"

Suddenly, Ashe shouted in alarm, "Watch out!"

The grey-haired archer moved to ready an arrow, having seen another bandit lining up a shot on Claude. But before he could pull his bowstring, the bandit changed his target and fired, and Ashe let out a cry of pain as the arrow struck him just above his collarbone.

"ASHE!"

Claude whipped around and swiftly fired a shot at the archer, hitting him right through his right cheekbone. The archer fell dead to the ground as Claude dropped his bow and began to assess Ashe's injury.

"Hey, you alright?" Claude said in concern.

"G-Gah… I-It hurts…" Ashe whimpered.

"Hang on, lemme get this out."

Claude grabbed the arrow and was about to pull out, but stopped as Mercedes said, "Wait! Don't pull it out yet!"

"Mercedes!"

The blonde healer rushed up to Claude and Ashe with Dedue and two Church soldiers behind her. The Duscuri man positioned himself to protect the others while Mercedes assessed Ashe's injury.

"Hurry, we have to bring him back to camp so I can treat him!" said Mercedes.

"M-Mercedes…" Ashe moaned as he was lifted by the Church soldiers.

"Shh, shh, it's going to be okay…"

As Ashe was carried off with Mercedes in tow, Claude let out a scowl and said, "Dammit, that was on me. I should've been paying attention."

"It was not your fault," said Dedue. "Focus on the battle for now."

"Yeah, I just… Argh, I thought this was going to be a breeze and then this happens. I just hope the others will be alright."

…

Ingrid was sure someone had just jinxed her. She let out a loud scream as Celdia was hit in her left wing by an arrow, which sent the Pegasus tumbling out of the air and crashing to the ground. Fortunately, she hadn't been that high up, but it was enough to leave her right leg trapped underneath her steed's unconscious body.

As the blonde tried to push Celdia off her leg, she saw another bandit emerge from the smoke with an axe, the female brigand smirking loudly at seeing the defenseless Pegasus Knight. In alarm, Ingrid tried to ready her steel lance, but it too was trapped under Celdia's heavy weight.

Ingrid looked up in horror as the bandit raised her axe to strike her.

The bandit then let out a loud, shuddering gasp as Joyeuse impaled her through her back, the Mythril blade skewering her like a fish on a spear. The brigand dropped her axe before letting out a final gasp and slumping forward, revealing Dorothea behind her.

"Ingrid, are you okay?" Dorothea asked as she knelt beside the blonde.

"Th-Thanks for the save," said Ingrid.

The two then worked to try and get Celdia off Ingrid's leg.

…

Balthus let out a loud howl of pain as he was hit by a shallow sword slash to his back. Gritting his teeth, he spun around and punched the woman responsible between her ample breasts, sending the bandit crashing into a wall with a broken ribcage.

Grunting from pain, Balthus said, "Sh-Shame to have to punch out such a babe."

"Baltie, you're hurt!" said Hilda as she ran up to Balthus.

"It's just a scratch, Hilda. I've had worse than… oogh…"

Balthus then started to wobble where he stood as nausea filled his body. His face started to become pale as he fell forward, almost flattening Hilda before Raphael rushed up and grabbed him.

"Whoa, easy there, Balthus," said Raphael. "You don't look so good."

"Ugh, y-you're telling me…"

"Let me have a look," said Linhardt as he came to assist.

"Linhardt, what's wrong with him?" asked Hilda. "That cut doesn't look that bad."

After a second to inspect the wound, Linhardt said, "I thought so. Poison. How bothersome."

"Bothersome?! Linhardt, you have to do something!"

"I was about to, Hilda. Please have some patience."

As he finished preparing his spell, Linhardt said, "Esuna!" as he purged the poison from Balthus' body. Balthus let out a gasp for breath as the nausea passed, but he still felt weaker than usual.

"T-Thanks, pal," said Balthus.

"You should probably take a seat for now," said Linhardt. "I still need to treat that wound."

"Hey, has anyone seen Anna?" asked Hilda.

"Th-Think I saw her chasing after one of the thieves," said Balthus. "Maybe it was that Pallardó guy."

…

Pallardó realized he was trapped. The nighttime attack had caught him and his gang completely off guard, allowing the Church to all but rout his forces. Now he was standing at a cliff with a very ticked off redhead brandishing her Levin Sword at her and a bluette with what looked like a Heroes' Relic behind her.

"To think you'd go to all this trouble, Anna," said Pallardó.

"When people go stealing my stuff, I tend to take offense to it, Pallardó," said Anna.

"Well, I'm about to take much more than just your merchandise, Anna. I was thinking… your life instead!"

Pallardó rushed forward with his poisoned blade as he said this, taking multiple fast swings at Anna. The redhead deftly blocked each strike as she and Pallardó fought it out. Byleth chose to stand back and let her friend handle the thief, knowing from what she saw that Pallardó didn't stand a chance.

Anna then made a loud "HA!" as she thrust her hand out and produced a magical flash of light from her palm, blinding Pallardó for an instant. It was enough to allow her to strike the thief's blade from his hand.

"Time to PAY!" Anna shouted as she then spun around and delivered a swift kick to Pallardó's chest, one that sent him off the side of the cliff.

Pallardó let out a scream of terror as he fell into the forest below, a drop more than fifty feet, and disappeared from their sight.

Anna took a deep breath before she said, "And that's that. Thanks for the help, By."

Byleth smiled as she and Anna sheathed their blades, and then they went back to the fort, which had been all but conquered by the students and soldiers.

* * *

_Not much to say about this one; it's really meant to be a build-up for the next chapter._

_After the next chapter, I plan to do some more slice-of-life stuff related to the ball and the White Heron Cup. We've had a lot of action over the past many chapters, so it's a good chance for some more fluffy stuff._


	79. Annabelle Sharene Ernest

_Make sure you play Anna's theme from Awakening and/or Fates while reading this. You'll thank me later._

* * *

**Chapter 79 – Annabelle Sharene Ernest (Ethereal Moon)**

As the fires within Pallardó's fort began to die down, the students went about tending to the wounded and searching the base for any loot that the thieves had stolen. Anna's merchandise was found among a large hoard of other stolen goods, ranging from chests of gold to pieces of artwork, a few rare weapons, and plenty of esoteric curiosities from other continents.

Needless to say, the students knew it was going to take a long while to sort through it all and see that everything was returned to the right people. For now, they went about loading the goods into several wagons, with Ignatz being in charge of sorting the goods to particular carts.

Off to the side, Byleth and Dorothea were healing two of the Church soldiers, both who gave their thanks before going to help the others.

As the soldiers left, Anna walked up to them and said, "There you two are. Hey, thanks a bunch for helping me out with this. I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it, Anna," said Dorothea. "We're glad to help."

"You've done a great deal for us over the last few months," said Byleth. "It's only fair that we help you in turn."

"Aww, shucks, By," said Anna. "You don't have to make it sound like an obligation."

"I wasn't…" Byleth stopped upon realizing that Anna was joking with her.

Then, in a more serious tone, the redhead said, "Hey, you two have been really good friends to me, so… You remember how I said I'd tell you more about myself at some point?"

"Uh, yeah, I kinda remember that…" said Dorothea.

"Do you wish to tell us now?" asked Byleth.

"Yeah, I think so. But first, I need you two to follow me. There's something I wanna show you."

Anna then moved toward the entrance to a cavern at the back of the fortress. After a moment's hesitation, Byleth and Dorothea followed the redhead into the darkness.

…

Though the initial descent was made of naturally formed caverns, the passage that Anna, Byleth and Dorothea went through began to change into one that had clearly been built centuries ago. Tiles and brick replaced dirt and roots, with cobwebs lining the walls and ceiling.

As they walked, Anna said, "I've been looking for this place for a little over a year now. I knew it was somewhere in Fódlan, but I was only able to track it down once Seteth let me access the restricted section of the library. The Shadow Library in Abyss had a few records but not the complete picture. When Seteth told me that Pallardó had set up his base right on top of the spot I was looking for, I thought he knew something about it. About me. But, after checking it out, it seems it really was just a coincidence."

"What is this place?" asked Byleth.

"Here we are."

Byleth and Dorothea stopped behind Anna as they reached an opening, showing an old mechanical door made from a very old but very sturdy metal. It didn't look like Magitek but still looked like nothing they had would break through the door.

"What is this, Anna?" asked Dorothea.

Stepping up to the door and placing a hand on it, Anna said, "The old family vault." Looking up at the door, she added, "To think it hasn't been disturbed in all these centuries…"

"Anna?" said Byleth, catching the redhead's attention again.

Anna then turned toward them, the dim light of the cavern making her look far more distinguished than usual.

She then said, "Guess it's time I laid all my cards on the table. First, you need to know who I really am." Taking a deep breath, Anna said, "My full name is Annabelle Sharene Ernest. I was born a noble to House Ernest of Judgral and, technically, I would be the rightful heir of the family."

"You're a noble?" Dorothea asked in surprise.

"I was. I gave that up a lifetime ago." Clearing her throat, Anna continued, "House Ernest actually used to be an old noble family in Fódlan, back before the Kingdom splintered off from the Empire. They were very wealthy, but they made themselves one too many enemies in their time. About 600 years ago, House Ernest was virtually wiped out by its rivals, with the few survivors fleeing across the ocean. They rebuilt themselves in Judgral, but their ways didn't really change. They aren't exactly popular these days and are known for hoarding their wealth. When House Ernest was expelled from Fódlan, they left behind this vault, a treasury containing some of their most precious valuables. I've been searching for it ever since I learned about it when I made a secret trip back home. Heh, my need for nostalgia really landed me a jackpot."

"Wait, if you were a noble, why did you give that up?" asked Dorothea. "Wouldn't you have been happy with all those riches your family had?"

Anna, seemingly offended, then said crossly, "You mean why I didn't want to be a tool in my mother's games with the other noble families in Judgral? Why I didn't want to be married off to someone I hated with all my guts? And why I didn't want to become a trophy wife whose only purpose was to make heirs to the family?!"

"A-Anna!" Dorothea was taken aback by the merchant's sudden bout of anger.

Realizing her tone, Anna said apologetically, "Sorry. Thinking back on that stuff gets me all riled up. I gave up being a noble because I wanted to be free. To do what I wanted when I wanted. To not be tied down to family obligations or by an arranged marriage. I wanted to have control over my life." Then, in a tone that showed her dislike of her memories, she said, "Mother didn't exactly like it when I told her all that. So, when I tried to run from home, she sent me over a cliff into a raging river. She thought me dead, and I feel that was for the best."

Byleth and Dorothea were both shocked at learning this.

"Anna, I… I never knew…" Dorothea said in disbelief.

"Hey, you couldn't have known, Dorothea. I make it a habit of not telling people my history unless I really get to know them. You two, you've shown me time and again that I can trust you."

"You've done the same for us, Anna," said Byleth. "I'd trust you with my life."

"B-By…! That's… Aww, you're gonna make me cry here."

Then, realizing something, Dorothea asked, "Hey, wait a second. You're telling us that all this happened to you, that you've been all over the world, but you barely look like you're in your twenties. How much of that is actually the truth?"

Surprised, Anna said, "Heh, you got me there. But you're assuming I'm only in my twenties. I never told either of you my real age. But, in my defense, you're asking a rather rude question, Dorothea."

"Huh?"

"You're basically asking how old I am." With a smirk, Anna said, "Truth be told, I've actually lost track. I've gotta be pushing mid-70's by now, at least."

"M-M-Mid 70's?!"

"How is that possible?" asked Byleth.

"Lemme show you." Anna then turned back to the vault door, inspected it briefly, and then said, "Yep, just as the records said. The door's activated by a Blood Seal. Needs the blood of one who carries the bloodline of Ernest."

Anna then drew her silver dagger from its sheath and pricked her right thumb with its tip, drawing a few drops of blood. She then pressed her thumb against a panel on the vault door. The door began to rumble and shift as the seal was activated.

"Open sesame."

Dorothea and Byleth watched in awe as the vault opened, revealing a sight that made their jaws drop. The vault was filled with chests of gold coins, jewelry, fancy platters and goblets, and all manner of valuables. Though much of it was stained and some of the items had rusted, it was still worth a vast fortune.

Dorothea expected Anna to be ecstatic at the sight, but the redhead's gaze was centered on a pedestal in the middle of the vault. Atop the pedestal was an immaculate bracelet made of untarnished Mythril. The metal had been woven in a pattern akin to a scaled serpent that was attempting to devour a large aquamarine gem at the tip of its tail, creating the circular band. The gem had a strange design carved into its surface that looked like a Crest, but it wasn't a Crest that Dorothea recognized.

"There you are," said Anna as she walked through the vault, ignoring the piles of treasure as she went up to the pedestal.

As the other two followed Anna in, Byleth asked, "Anna, what is that?"

Without answering, Anna picked up the bracelet and, after staring at it for a moment, slipped it onto her left wrist. The gemstone began to shimmer as the metal began to shift, as if the serpent upon it were alive. Byleth and Dorothea watched with worry as the bracelet began to shrink in size, conforming to fit perfectly to Anna's wrist, but the merchant showed no signs of worry or discomfort at this.

Anna then turned around, raising her left hand to her side with her palm facing upward as a Crest began to manifest over her hand. It was the same design as on the bracelet's gemstone.

"Anna… You have a Crest?" asked Byleth.

"Yep. The Major Crest of Ernest. One of the reasons my mother was so eager to get rid of me when I told her I wanted no part in her political games. She didn't want some family getting the benefits of it." She then moved her arm to show the bracelet she wore as she said, "This little treasure is the Relic of House Ernest. It's called Andvari's Gift. Supposedly, you can use it even if you don't have a Crest, but I dunno how accurate that is. Either way, since I bear the Crest of Ernest, I'm technically the rightful owner of it."

"It doesn't look like a Heroes' Relic," said Dorothea.

"It isn't. Supposedly it's more akin to the Relics of the Saints, but there's not actually a lot known about this thing's origins. Lost to history, I guess."

"So, that's what you've been looking for?" asked Byleth.

"Yep. I learned that one of my relatives, a distant cousin of mine, was planning to look for this thing, so I figured I'd beat him to it. I'm not looking to take my place as the family heir; I wanted this Relic for myself."

As Anna smiled at her words, Dorothea let out a short laugh and said, "That's just like you, Anna."

"So, what does this Relic do?" asked Byleth.

"Supposedly it makes the wearer lucky, but no one's really sure. It's clearly magical, though, so it's gotta be handy for something. Only Ernest himself would really know."

"Who was this Ernest?"

"Again, I dunno. No records of who he really was exist anymore. All that's known is he wasn't one of the Ten Heroes, and he wasn't a Saint or an Apostle. He's an enigma, that's all I can say. One of the few things that's known about him is that wherever he went, prosperity followed."

"So, you bear his Crest, and that's why you barely look like you're in your twenties?" asked Dorothea.

"Yep. Supposedly, Major Crests end up giving people longer lifespans. At least it's the case for me. It has other uses too; I try not to use it, but it's saved my butt more than a few times. I also like to think it subtly helps me with my merchant lifestyle."

"Speaking of which, what are you going to do with all of this?" Dorothea gestured to the treasure around them as she said this. "With this much treasure, you'd never have to work another day!"

Giving it all a look for a moment, Anna said, "Honestly, I think I'd rather just leave this stuff here for now."

"Huh?!" Dorothea had not expected such an answer from Anna. "But it's gotta be worth–"

"A king's ransom, I know. And I love getting gold, but this… it doesn't feel like I really earned it. Sure, I did my homework and found this place, but I only got in because of something I was born with, not because of my salesmanship or skill. I've always found gold is so much sweeter when I earn it as a merchant."

"Anna…" Byleth said in respect.

"Besides, if I were to come out with all this treasure right now, I'd have to have it out with the Church. They'd surely want a big piece of it, but technically it's mine by right."

"So, you don't want it, but it's still yours?" Dorothea asked in amusement.

"Hey, I get the irony. In any case, I think keeping the treasure here will keep it safe for if I ever need it. Never know if I might need some hidden assets."

"I think that's a smart decision," said Byleth.

"Well, if that's all, we should probably get back to the others," said Dorothea.

"Yeah, they're probably wondering where we snuck off to," said Anna. "Oh, but before we go, can you guys promise to keep all this between us? I'd rather not get too much attention for being an ex-noble with a super rare Crest and a stash of hidden gold."

Dorothea and Byleth nodded in agreement to this.

"Thanks, you two."

The three began to exit the vault, but after a few steps, Anna stopped in her tracks. The redhead paused for a moment as she looked back at the treasure trove she was leaving behind.

Then, with a sneaky smile, she said, "Oh, what the heck! One small bag for the road!"

Dorothea and Byleth turned with amused smiles as Anna took a coin purse from her belt, grabbed a large handful of gold coins, and dropped them into the sack. She then tied the bag to her waist before stepping out of the vault and placing her hand on the ground before the door. The vault door shifted back into place, sealing the trove away once again.

Then, seeing the amused looks on Byleth and Dorothea's faces, Anna said, "What?"

Dorothea giggled as she said, "Oh, it's nothing. But, since we're such good friends now, do you suppose I could have a bit of that gold?"

Byleth would have berated Dorothea for such a request, but she knew by the singer's tone that she was joking.

"Heh, sorry, Dorothea. I don't do handouts like that."

The three laughed as they left the cavern and ventured back to the surface.

* * *

_It's a shame Anna didn't get a 3H rendition of her theme. And it's even more of a shame that 3H Anna didn't get a backstory like this, or even Support chains._

_I've been working toward this backstory for Anna for a while now. I didn't want her to be one of those Outrealm Anna's, but to be a unique individual who could legitimately fit into the 3H story. I hope you all like how I've fleshed her out. __Don't worry, though; Anna's role in the story is far from done._

_And yes, I know her in-game age in 3H is 25-26, but I'm having her be MUCH older to account for her worldly experience. After all, Jeralt's supposed age is over 120, so it's not an unreasonable idea for Anna to be mid-70's and still look so spry._

_EDIT: It's been pointed out that long life is only for first-generation Crest bearers, or those who are given their Crests by a Nabatean. Well, Anna's epilogue text shows she's around for centuries after the events of the story. You could chalk this up as other Anna's, but I have it as the Major Crest of Ernest giving a long lifespan even when it's not first-generation bearers._

_As for Anna's Relic, I got the suggestion for it from the Fire Emblem Reddit. Andvari's Gift, also known as Andvaranaut, is a ring from Norse mythology. I know several of the 3H relics have their basis in Arthurian lore, but some do have other sources (i.e. Aymr). Big thanks to **BlueIsForPlayers** on Reddit for the suggestion._

_In-game, I'd have Andvari's Gift grant +1 Movement, Miracle, +10 Luck, and HP regen to its wielder; the HP regen would be stronger if the wielder has the Crest of Ernest. Sounds situational (or maybe a bit OP), sure, but it fits for Anna being a rouge rogue. ;)_


	80. Busy Days at Garreg Mach

_Time for a load of slice-of-life!_

* * *

**Chapter 80 – Busy Days at Garreg Mach (Ethereal Moon)**

The crow of a rooster started Dorothea's day as she yawned herself awake. The sun's rays beamed down into her room from her window, providing a bit of warmth to the otherwise cold winter air. Frost, however, could clearly be seen against the glass.

Dorothea listened to the sound of chatter outside her dormitory as she slipped out of her nightgown and into her uniform. There weren't going to be any lectures that day, but she had a lot to do planned out.

The first thing on her list was to get a certain recluse to come out of her room for the day.

Exiting her room, Dorothea was met by the sight of Garreg Mach Monastery covered in a beautiful white blanket of snow. There were already plenty of people up and about, each going about the start of their day. A few of them gave her a brief wave that she returned with a smile as she made her way to one of the rooms a few doors over.

And though she couldn't hear the one inside moving at all, Dorothea could tell she was awake. The singer knocked on the door as she said, "Bernadetta? Bern, are you up yet?"

"D-Dorothea?" Bernadetta replied.

"Yep, it's me. Time to get up, Bern."

"Aw, do I have to? It's cold out…"

"Come on, Bern. They're serving Stir-Fry today~"

"T-They are? That sounds good." Bernadetta gave a loud sigh and then said, "Okay, come on, Bernie, you can do this."

Dorothea was pleased as she heard the purple-haired girl moving within her room, knowing all she had to do now was wait.

…

Byleth looked down at the sheet of paper in her hand with disappointment. She had hoped Caspar would do better on his exams, but the brash boy had only barely passed the written test. Had he made one more wrong answer, she would've been forced to fail him. She knew she would have to speak with him about studying more.

Dipping her quill into her inkwell, Byleth wrote out a stern "D-" grade on Caspar's test before setting it into a pile of tests she had already graded. Caspar's had been the lowest grade so far for the first-year students, but Raphael had also done poorly. Technically, Hapi's had been even lower and would've qualified as a "fail", but Byleth intended to accommodate for the girl because of her lack of education. What the girl lacked in book smarts, she made up for in street sense.

Then, as Byleth took another test sheet to grade, she heard footsteps approaching her.

"Professor," said Linhardt in his usual unmotivated tone.

Looking up, Byleth said, "Linhardt, is there something I can do for you?"

"I just remembered I still needed to hand this in."

Linhardt then handed a few sheets of parchment to Byleth, an essay in his handwriting. This earned a look of annoyance from Byleth.

"You were supposed to hand this in two weeks ago," Byleth said sternly.

"Isn't the old saying 'better late than never'?"

"Linhardt, we've talked about this. Even if your essays are well-written and researched, that isn't an excuse for tardiness."

"My apologies, Professor Eisner. I actually did finish it on time, but I got distracted by my research and, well, I only thought to hand it in now."

Byleth let out a sigh of disappointment before saying, "I know you mean well, so I'm going to let this slide. But I don't want to be having this conversation again, understand?"

"Yes, yes, I–"

More sternly, Byleth said, "Understand?"

Realizing the point Byleth was trying to make, Linhardt said, "Yes, Professor Eisner. I won't hand in my assignments late again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find someplace warm to have a mid-morning nap."

Linhardt made a yawn as he turned to leave, with Byleth watching him in exasperation.

…

Dorothea let out a grunt of annoyance as she buried her shovel into a mound of snow. She and Edelgard had been assigned snow shoveling duty that day, but manual labor wasn't one of the singer's strong points.

She looked out at the long lawn that sprawled out before the classrooms and saw, to her dismay, that they were only about half done. And they had been at it for over an hour.

Groaning, Dorothea said, "Edie, this is taking forever. I've got stuff to do."

"Complaining about it isn't going to make it go faster, Dorothea," said Edelgard.

"Ugh, why did I have to get assigned this anyway?" Sighing, she then said, "There's got to be a way to make this go faster."

Edelgard made her own sigh as Dorothea stopped to ponder the situation. She didn't like having to do this either, but it wouldn't help to whine over it.

Then, with a flash of inspiration, Dorothea said, "Hey, I got it! Edie, stand back for second, would you?"

Confused, Edelgard stepped away from the snow-covered lawn as she asked, "What are you planning to do, Dorothea?"

Then, as she looked at the singer, Edelgard was alarmed to see Dorothea preparing a fireball in her hands.

"D-Dorothea!"

"It's just a load of ice, right?" the singer said confidently. "Then it should melt all the same!"

"Wait, don't!"

Edelgard rushed to try and stop Dorothea, but it was too late. The brunette's fireball careened forward and swept over the snow, quickly melting it into water and revealing the withered grass below. Thankfully, none of the grass caught fire due to how damp it was.

But as Dorothea looked at her fireball, she almost panicked at seeing it was about to hit Professor Hanneman. The aged scholar was oblivious to the oncoming threat.

"LOOK OUT!" Dorothea shouted.

Her warning came just in time. Hanneman looked over and made a loud yelp as he stumbled back, narrowly avoiding being charred by Dorothea's spell. The fireball dispersed as it passed Hanneman, vanishing as its magic faded.

In a mixture of surprise and aggravation, Hanneman turned toward Dorothea as the singer shouted, "Sorry! Sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there, Professor Hanneman!"

"Miss Arnault, you should know better than to throw spells so carelessly!" Hanneman said crossly. "It is not a shortcut for your chores!"

Dorothea could only laugh nervously as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Beside her, Edelgard looked at the lawn and made a sigh.

The snow had been mostly melted. It would only take another two minutes to clean up the rest.

…

Ingrid let out a sigh as she brushed the feathers of Celdia's wing. Her Pegasus had not fully recovered from its injury at Pallardó's fort, so Ingrid was extra careful not to agitate her steed. As she brushed Celdia's feathers, Ingrid looked over at the other mounts in the stable. There were empty troughs and some of the stalls needed extra hay.

The food and the hay were there. The problem was that Ingrid couldn't handle everything that had to be done alone. And her partner for the day was missing.

Just then, Ingrid heard a familiar voice yelping, "Ow! OW! OWOW! P-Professor, that– ACK! Cut it out!"

Ingrid stepped away from Celdia to look outside, and immediately saw Byleth leading Sylvain toward the stable, the teacher grabbing the redhead by his ear.

"Come on, Professor, I was so close to asking her out to the dance!" Sylvain yelped.

Byleth said nothing, but her cross expression spoke for her.

Finally, upon leading Sylvain up to Ingrid, the bluette let go of the redhead's ear.

"Professor Eisner!" Ingrid said in surprise. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble."

Looking at the stable, Byleth said, "Clearly I did." Then, looking at Sylvain, she said, "I expect these horses and Pegasi to be well fed and their stalls filled with hay before dinner. Understood?"

"Professor, do you see how many of these stalls there are? This is gonna take all day!" Sylvain whined.

"Then I suggest you get started."

Byleth turned and strode away from the two Blue Lions.

Just as Sylvain was about to protest further, he yelped as Ingrid grabbed him by the collar and said, "She's right, Sylvain. Get to it, or you're going to be eating what we're feeding the horses tonight!"

Realizing he wasn't going to get away for more of his flirting, Sylvain whined in defeat.

…

Dorothea made several quick swipes with Joyeuse as she followed Felix through a series of steps. Each blow struck a spot on a training dummy with precision, though not necessarily with the speed Felix wanted.

"Again, faster!" Felix barked.

Dorothea grunted as she went through the slices again, hitting each spot as she intended a bit faster than before.

"Again!"

Dorothea swiped several times again, and again she was slightly faster.

"Faster, Arnault!"

Now annoyed at Felix, Dorothea slashed again and again, faster and faster.

Then, as she finished the steps again, Felix said, "Good. You're improving."

Dorothea took a moment to catch her breath, but then Felix said, "Again."

Growling in annoyance, Dorothea decided to show Felix just how fast she was and swung Joyeuse around, the tip not even at inch from his face. Felix's expression showed he hadn't quite expected her to do such a thing.

After a moment of silence, Dorothea said snarkily, "Fast enough for you, Felix?"

Felix's response was to sweep his leg at Dorothea's right ankle, which she had put forward in her movement, and tripped her. Dorothea yelped as she hit the ground, and then she let out a grunt as Felix stepped on her back, pressing her bountiful chest into the floor.

"I've told you before to watch your footing," said Felix.

The swordsman then stepped off Dorothea's back before extending a hand to help her up.

Groaning as she took his hand, Dorothea hissed, "You can be such an insufferable ass, you know that?"

"If I were an enemy, you'd be dead right now. Understand? Now, run through the steps again and keep going faster."

Dorothea let out a loud sigh of annoyance, and then, not wanting to admit to Felix that he was right, went back through the steps again.

…

Byleth remained silent as she went about watering some of the plants in the greenhouse. She had to be careful not to overwater the ones she was currently tending to, as they would otherwise wilt.

Finishing with her watering can, she turned to look at Dedue as the Duscuri man gently cut a few vegetables from their vines and gently placed them into a basket. As he went about his harvest, Byleth picked up a small handful of seeds and went to an open patch of soil in the greenhouse. She moved aside a patch of dirt, spread the seeds, and then covered them with the soil.

"Be sure not to bury them too deeply," said Dedue. "They must be able to reach the surface quickly or they will not survive."

Byleth nodded at this and gingerly swept some of the soil off where she had buried the seeds, leaving only a thin layer to cover them.

"Do they need much water?" asked Byleth.

"Only a small amount. A quarter of a can should be enough."

Byleth nodded again and filled her watering can to the specified amount before slowly pouring its contents onto the mound of dirt she had prepared. The water slowly seeped into the soil to nourish the seeds below. Now all she could do was wait.

Turning back to Dedue, Byleth asked, "Do you need help with those?"

"I would appreciate it."

Byleth smiled as she went to get a pruning knife so she could help Dedue with his harvest.

…

Dorothea felt at her best when she was singing. She stood next to Manuela, Hilda and Marianne as they all let out their voices in the cathedral to a hymn. Dorothea had to do her best not to make everyone feel inadequate compared to her, but she found it difficult not to show off.

Then, as the verse ended, she realized just how quiet Marianne was being.

"Mary, why are you being so quiet?" Dorothea whispered.

"I… I can't sing very loud," said Marianne.

"That won't do at all," said Manuela. "You need to sing from your diaphragm, Marianne. Like this!"

As Manuela let out a loud "LAAAA~!", Dorothea and Hilda couldn't help giggle at this.

"Yeah, Mary, just like that," said Hilda. "You can do it!"

"Come on, let's hear you loud and proud!" said Dorothea.

Marianne squirmed before them for a moment, unsure of what to do. But then the pressure seemed to overwhelm her, and she let out a loud, shrill "AAAAAHH!"

It was high pitched and tone-deaf enough that several people in the cathedral had to cover their ears.

Marianne was left blushing a bright red as the others decided she should stick to a lower volume.

…

Byleth jerked back on her fishing rod as she pulled another Teutates Loach from the water, the fish flailing around as it landed on the dock.

"Well done, Professor," said Gilbert.

Then, as his own rod jerked, he pulled back on his catch and, after a few seconds, pulled a White Trout out onto dry land.

"Excellent work, Sir Gilbert," said the Fishkeeper. "They're really biting today."

"Indeed," said Gilbert. "It is surprising, given how many we caught during the fishing contest two months ago, that they are still so numerous."

Byleth nodded at this, and then felt her line jerk again. Immediately she pulled back on the fishing rod and, after struggling for a few seconds, saw a set of glimmering golden scales coming toward the surface. The bluette pulled back hard, and her catch, a glimmering Golden Fish, was sent crashing onto the dock.

"Oh, that's a beauty!" said the Fishmaster. "Well done, Professor Ei–"

Just as the Fishmaster was speaking, a stray cat ran up to the Golden Fish and, before anyone could react, grabbed it and ran off.

Byleth had been too surprised by the cat to stop it, and by the time she regained her wits, the feline was long gone with her prize.

…

The smell of cooked meat filled Dorothea's nostrils as she stood next to Mercedes in the kitchen, doing her best to make a dish of Beast Meat Teppanyaki. The singer wasn't a huge fan of such a dish, but she still intended to do her best with it.

"Okay, now we add some salt to it, but not too much," said Mercedes.

Dorothea grabbed a pinch of salt from a small bag and sprinkled it over the meat. It sizzled within her pan, creating a mouth-watering aroma.

"You've gotten really good at this, Dorothea," Mercedes said with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks to you and the others," said Dorothea. "I never realized I could be so good at cooking."

With a small laugh, Mercedes added, "I'm sure your search for a good man will go so much smoother now that you can cook like this."

"Oh, really? Do all men really think with their stomachs and not care about 'this' meat?"

Dorothea smirked as she put a hand to her left butt cheek and gave it a pat. This made Mercedes laugh even more.

But then, the two smelled something different. Something was burning.

Mercedes was the first to realize what it was.

"Ah, Dorothea! The meat, it's–"

"AH! Oh no, no, no, no!"

Dorothea almost ended up dropping her creation on the floor as the meat almost caught fire.

…

Catherine messily stuffed a slice of Beast Meat into her mouth as she sat next to Shamir. Byleth sat across from them, slightly aghast at Catherine's horrible table manners.

"Mmm! Dish ish gud!" Catherine said with her stuffed cheeks. "Hoo made it?"

"I think it was Dorothea's turn to cook," said Byleth.

Swallowing, Catherine said, "Well, she's gotten good! Even if she burned it a little."

As Catherine laughed at this, Shamir said, "I apologize for my partner, Professor."

Byleth said nothing to this, not wanting to get in the way of Catherine enjoying herself. In any event, trying to reason with the Crusader wasn't likely to have any effect right now, as Catherine had already downed a couple of pints of beer. Her cheeks were flushed with inebriation.

"Hey, Shamir, you've barely touched your serving. You don't mind if I…"

Without finishing or waiting for Shamir's permission, Catherine skewered some of the meat on the sniper's plate and wolfed it down. Shamir groaned in annoyance at the swordswoman's gluttony.

"Mmm-mmm, so much meat!" said Catherine. "And not just this stuff, but…"

As Catherine spoke, she slung an arm over Shamir's shoulder and then, to the sniper's surprise, placed her hand on the Dagdan woman's left breast.

"This meat too! This big, juicy, pillowy bit of meat! Am I right, Profess– UHH!"

Catherine was sent to the floor on her back as Shamir slammed her elbow into the blonde woman's face.

"You're incorrigible, Catherine," Shamir said irritably.

Byleth, on the other hand, could only laugh nervously.

…

Nighttime came to Garreg Mach shortly after dinner, and after helping to clean up the dining hall, Byleth decided it was time to get to bed. But as she made her way toward her quarters, she saw Dorothea coming out of the passageway that led to Abyss. She looked positively exhausted.

Curious, Byleth walked up to the diva and asked, "Dorothea, what were you doing down in Abyss?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Professor…" Dorothea said tiredly. "I was just… just singing for the people from Remire. I was… was there longer than I meant to be."

"Well, you'd better get to bed. You look tired."

"Th-Thanks, Professor… I think I'll just… just… uhh…"

To Byleth's alarm, the singer began to topple over, and Byleth had just enough time to rush forward and catch Dorothea in her arms before the diva lost consciousness. The teacher was about to consider taking her to the infirmary when she looked down at the singer's face and realized Dorothea had simply fallen asleep right then and there.

With a warm smile, Byleth gently carried the brunette back to her room.

* * *

_I went over my word limit here. Oops._

_I got a little carried away with this one, but I hope you'll enjoy seeing a day of life at Garreg Mach for our leading ladies. It's both a show of how far they've come, and a lighthearted moment before what's coming._

_And yes, I totally imagine a drunk Catherine would grab Shamir's boobs. XD_


	81. The White Heron Cup

_Who's ready for some dancing?_

* * *

**Chapter 81 – The White Heron Cup (Ethereal Moon)**

Dorothea looked through the pages of a book on forms of dance with disappointment as she sat in the entrance hall of the monastery. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with the book, but it didn't contain what she was looking for.

As she let out a sigh, Byleth approached her and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, Professor. Good timing, actually," said Dorothea. "I need to discuss something with you."

"What is it?"

"It's about the White Heron Cup. I know you already picked me for the job, and I'm going to do my best, but… I just can't decide on what kind of dance I wish to do. You know the competition allows us to pick our dance forms. The thing is, I want to do something that'll 'wow' the audience. Something that'll just bring their jaws to the floor."

"So, what's the matter?"

"Well, none of these books on dance have anything I'd want to try. They're mostly on typical ballroom dances or ballet and the like. It's not really what I'm looking for."

Now understanding Dorothea's dilemma, Byleth put a hand to her chin as she pondered. She had total faith in Dorothea's abilities, but it was true that if she just did a typical dance that it could be seen by the judges as a lack of creativity.

Byleth's face then lit up with inspiration as she remembered something.

"I think I might have just what you're looking for," said the teacher.

"Really? You know a dance I could do?"

"Not precisely, but Anna let me borrow a book from Hoshido on dance forms. Maybe you could try one of those."

"Really? Are you sure she's not trying to rig the competition?"

"She gave other books to Manuela and Hanneman as well."

"Oh, I see. I guess that's fair."

"I left the book back in my room."

"Well then, after you." Dorothea smiled as she said this and followed Byleth.

…

About a half-hour later, Dorothea was looking through the Hoshidan book and, despite not being able to read the foreign calligraphy, saw a set of images that made her eyes widen.

"That's it! This is the one!" she said enthusiastically.

Byleth leaned over to see the dance form that Dorothea had chosen. After taking a moment to study the pictures, Byleth's expression turned to one of skepticism.

"Are you sure, Dorothea? It looks a bit… um…"

"That's why it's perfect." Dorothea made a short chuckle as she said, "Annette and Hilda won't know what hit them!"

"If you're sure. But you're going to need to practice it first."

"Not a problem, Professor. Come on, I know just the place for it."

With that, Byleth followed Dorothea to watch her practice the Hoshidan dance.

…

_One week later…_

"Ladies and gentlemen!" bellowed Alois as he stood up from his seat. "My sincerest apologies for the wait! Thank you for gathering here on the eve of the highly anticipated ball to bear witness to… The academy-wide dance competition! Welcome to the White Heron Cup!"

The audience began cheering as the festivities got underway. Byleth stood with the rest of the Black Eagles as they waited for the dancers to start.

"This year, the competition will be judged by… me! Your humble servant, Alois Rangeld! Oh, but of course, I need to introduce the others. First… The acclaimed former songstress of the Mittelfrank Opera Company, Manuela Casagranda!"

Manuela stood up as the crowd clapped for her and said, "Yes, yes, thank you. Oh, and it should go without saying, but I swear to show no bias to my own house. Got it? Good."

This was met with a few chuckles from the audience.

"Next… the self-proclaimed Father of Crestology, Hanneman von Essar!"

"Thank you, Alois," said Hanneman. "I too will not be showing bias to the Golden Deer. All in the spirit of fairness."

"Third, or I should say fourth, is our archbishop's chief advisor, Seteth!"

"Thank you, Alois," said Seteth. "I wish all those participating the best of luck."

"Next up, one of the finest of the Knights of Seiros, Sir Gilbert Pronislav!"

Gilbert chose not to say anything, but simply rose to give a courteous bow. His lack of words prompted a small frown from Annette.

"Nearing the end now, we have the glamorous assassin who does all of her dancing in the dead of night… Shamir Nevrand!"

Shamir let out a dismissive "Hmph" as Alois announced her.

"And last, but certainly not least, our very own Secret Seller herself, Miss Anna!"

Anna put an index finger to her cheek in a pose as she said, "Thank you, thank you! Don't forget to drop by my shop after this is over!"

Again, the crowd couldn't help but laugh at this.

Alois then said, "The seven of us swear on our honor to judge the following proceedings with utmost impartiality and fairness! And with that, will the representatives of each house please make their way to the stage!"

At this cue, Annette, Hilda and Dorothea walked up to the stage that had been set in the main hall.

"Now then, each of you will be taking turns with your dance. We'll start with the Blue Lions, followed by the Golden Deer, and then the Black Eagles. So, to start things, we have from the Blue Lions our little ball of magical pep and verve, Annette Fatine Dominic!"

Annette jumped for joy as she stepped forward, stealing a glance at Gilbert as she readied herself to dance. She was wearing a baby blue dress with a long flowing skirt; the students were allowed to use an outfit of their choosing for the White Heron Cup.

"Are you ready, Annette? And is the band prepared to play?"

"I'm ready, let's go!" Annette said enthusiastically.

The conductor of the band gave a nod, showing he and his band were ready. Each of the girls had submitted a piece of music that they were to play for their respective dances.

"Then… begin!"

The musicians began to play their tune as Annette began her dance. The music, an uplifting assortment of flutes, drums and winds, accompanied Annette as she began to skip, hop, twirl, and otherwise prance about in a saltarello. It was a dance perfectly suited for the small girl, one that highlighted her boundless energy and childlike exuberance.

Dorothea was impressed by what she saw. A saltarello was normally a dance meant for two, but Annette was doing exceptionally well even without a partner. However, Dorothea's critical eye noticed more than a couple of missteps, no doubt due to Annette's own clumsiness, but the girl never toppled or tripped. Dorothea looked around at the crowd, seeing that many were quite pleased by Annette's performance. She stopped for a second at seeing Felix gazing intently at her and couldn't help but smirk at the swordsman.

After about a minute of the band's playing, the music stopped, and Annette finished her dance about a second later. The audience gave its applause as Annette made a curtsey to the crowd.

"Wonderfully done, Annette! Wonderful!" said Alois.

"Thank you so much!" Annette said to both Alois and to the audience. The girl then stepped aside to allow the next contestant to take center stage.

As the crowd's applause settled, Alois said, "Next, representing the Golden Deer, we have our pink-haired powerhouse, Hilda Valentine Goneril!"

Hilda stepped forward with a giggle as she readied herself. The girl was dressed in a much shorter skirt and had opted to wear tights. Her outfit clung to her curves, especially highlighting her breasts, something Dorothea knew the pinkette was counting on.

"Are you ready, Hilda?"

"Oh, I'm ready," Hilda said confidently. "Are you all ready for a show?"

This was answered by several catcalls and wolf whistles from many of the boys, something that irked plenty of the girls. Dorothea was impressed, knowing how lazy Hilda tended to be.

"Alright then… begin!"

The music Hilda had chosen was far softer than Annette's, relying more on dulcet tones and chimes. Hilda's movements were graceful as she would stand on her toes, stretch her legs, lean herself in time with the music, and otherwise perform her ballet with a level of skill Dorothea hadn't expected. She would twirl on her toes and it would make her skirt float a bit, which gave more than a few in the audience some glimpses of her round posterior. Of course, most of the boys were focused on the roundness of her chest, and despite how much her breasts bounced around, it didn't perturb Hilda's performance.

It wasn't a dance Dorothea had expected Hilda to do. Ballet was a common dance form in Fódlan, and though Hilda was performing it well, she seemed to drag out some of the moves for too long. Dorothea suspected it was because the pinkette wanted the crowd to focus on her ample assets and miss any mistakes she was making, but Dorothea wasn't fooled. Giving Manuela a brief glance, Dorothea saw the senior diva noticing the same mistakes.

The music soon ended as Hilda's performance came to a finish. The crowd let out a cheer as the pinkette let out a deep breath and then gave her own curtsey before blowing some of the boys a kiss.

"Excellently done, Hilda!" said Alois. "A remarkable display!"

"Thank you, thank you~" Hilda said sweetly, and then the pinkette moved aside.

Dorothea took a deep breath as Alois said to the crowd, "And finally, we have our representative for the Black Eagles. The jewel from the streets of Enbarr, the diva turned cadet, the Mystical Songstress from the Mittelfrank Opera Company… Dorothea Arnault!"

Byleth watched with a proud smile as Dorothea stepped up to the stage. Dorothea was dressed in a rather revealing crimson dress with a grey corset around her waist. Her breasts were far more on display, with her dress connected to a brown collar around her neck. She would've had a lot of skin on her back exposed, as well as her ample cleavage, but Byleth had insisted that Dorothea wear a dark red shawl for decency. Red detached sleeves covered her arms, while her legs were in dark chestnut tights. Dorothea also wore high heeled shoes, despite that the Hoshidan dance was supposed to be performed barefoot.

"Are you ready to dance, Dorothea?" asked Alois.

Dorothea didn't say anything, instead giving Alois a determined nod.

"Then… begin!"

The band began to play. It started slowly, rising as Dorothea lifted her left arm above her head, followed by her right. As the music began to pick up, Dorothea began weaving her arms and hands as she began to step, lean, and simply move with incredible grace. Her hair flowed with her as she fought the urge to sing, knowing she had to concentrate on each movement she made. She would twirl as the violins strummed their notes before twisting her arms like serpents, and then she would lift her leg in a high sweep before her. Her fingers traced themselves along her body, especially over her breasts and hips, as though caressing a lover, an amorous yet graceful display that left everyone captivated by her beauty and the power of her sexuality. It was like nothing they had ever seen before, for this dance was almost completely unknown in Fódlan.

Byleth was amazed by what she saw. It was as if Dorothea were moving as fluidly as water, cascading from one movement into the next like the waves of the ocean. She had never seen anything so enchanting, so bewitchingly pristine, so radiantly passionate, yet also so erotic.

It was a display that left the bluette almost lost in her thoughts, all alone.

The music reached its conclusion. As it did, Dorothea finished a leg extension and slowly stretched her legs in a split as she lowered herself to the floor of the stage, her arms spread to her side.

The audience's applause could be heard throughout Garreg Mach Monastery.

"Superbly done, Dorothea!" said Alois. "The audience sure loved that one!"

Dorothea said nothing as she rose from her split and gave a melodramatic curtsey to the judges and the audience.

Byleth smiled as she looked around, seeing that audience had clearly found her dance to be of great appeal. However, she also noticed several of them were giving largely skeptical looks at her, mostly women and a few others. With a little concern, the bluette looked to the judges, and saw that some were sharing the same skepticism.

It was enough that Byleth began to wonder if Dorothea would really win. Clearly, the eroticism of the dance had been a bit too much for some.

"That's all, folks!" said Alois. "Splendid! All three of you were fantastic! Now, let's hear what the judges have to say… Oh, but I suppose I should give my vote first."

The three contestants stood in eager anticipation of who among them would win.

Then, Alois said, "My vote has to go to… the Blue Lions! I was very impressed you could pull off that dance solo! And if I must be honest, it reminds me so much of my own little girl back home."

This prompted a few expressions of "aww" from the audience as Annette made a little jump for joy.

"Now, for our next judge. Manuela, if you please?"

With a smile, Manuela said, "Oh my, let's see. I suppose I have no choice but to vote for… The Black Eagles. My dearie, Dorothea, that performance was… exhilarating. My heart is still beating a mile a minute." Then, turning to Byleth, Manuela said in a sultry teasing tone, "Tell me, Professor Eisner, what have you been teaching my little opera protégé?"

"I… umm…" Byleth couldn't manage to say anything else as she blushed.

"I will deliver my vote next," said Hanneman. "I cast my vote for the Golden Deer. I was most impressed by Hilda's ability to turn a well-known dance into a work of art. Excellent work."

"Aww, thank you, Professor Hanneman~" Hilda said sweetly.

"And you said you weren't going to be biased towards your House, Hanneman," Manuela said sardonically, earning a frown from the Crest scholar.

"I will also cast my vote for the Golden Deer," said Seteth. "Admittedly, I am rather fond of more classical dances, but Hilda carried herself with impeccable grace as well."

Hilda couldn't help but make an enthusiastic fist pump at this.

Gilbert then said, "My vote is to the Blue Lions. I believe anything I could say has already been said by Alois."

"Father…" murmured Annette.

"Are you sure that's your only reason, Gilbert?" Manuela said teasingly.

Dorothea had a look of dismay on her face at this point, and Byleth began thinking that perhaps they had made a mistake.

"Well, that just leaves our last two judges," said Alois. "Shamir, how about you?"

Shamir took a moment to think on it, and then said, "I vote for the Black Eagles. The way you carried yourself was striking. Your movements were decisive, with nothing wasted. And you showed daring. You had no fear in how others would think of you. Impressive job."

Dorothea's worry began to slip away as she smiled at Shamir, who gave a smile back.

"Wow, incredible!" said Alois. "Looks like we're left with a tie! I guess it comes down to our newest judge now. Miss Anna, what do you think?"

The crowd's eyes were on the redheaded merchant as she pondered her choice. Byleth knew the merchant had been told to be impartial, but she could tell from the look in her eyes what her choice would be.

Anna smiled and then said, "You all did a great job, don't get me wrong. Annette, you showed you could pull off anything you set your mind to, including a dance meant for two. Hilda, you may have gone with the simple answer, but the way you did it was anything but simple." The redhead shut her eyes for a moment, and then said, "But Dorothea… I've seen a lot of dances in my travels, and you not only chose one from beyond Fódlan's shores… you made it your own. A dance like that requires grace, passion, and drive, and you had all three in spades. My vote is to the Black Eagles!"

This prompted cheering from the audience as Dorothea, barely believing she had just won, staggered for a moment before she let out a gleeful squeal. To her side, Annette and Hilda were both a little disappointed that they had lost, but still gave big smiles to Dorothea.

As the singer looked around, she stopped to give a big smile to Byleth, who smiled back with pride at the diva's victory.

* * *

_Yes, Dorothea did Azura's dance from Fates: Birthright. All she was missing were the lyrics and the Water Magic. And yes, I had Dorothea in a version of her post-timeskip dress._

_This was hard to do because it's hard to write out dance steps. I hope I did enough to let you all picture how each of the girls did their dance._

_As for other changes, I always felt 3 judges was too few because it could result in ties, so upping the count to 7 ensured I could legitimately have people who would vote for Annette and Hilda while letting Dorothea win._

_Anyhow, Dorothea's now officially the Dancer. She really is the best character for the class, IMO._


	82. Second Thoughts

_This one is a bit shorter than my previous entries, but it's not easy to extend a topic like this._

* * *

**Chapter 82 – Second Thoughts (Ethereal Moon)**

Byleth was sitting in one of the lounges when she saw Dorothea walking toward her with a pained expression on her face, as if someone had just struck. The singer clenched her teeth as she raised her right hand to her left shoulder, trying to rub her upper back.

"Dorothea? Is everything alright?" asked Byleth.

"Oh, hey Professor," said Dorothea. "Actually, I kinda overstretched during practice and – Ow – I must've pulled something."

"That must hurt."

"Y-Yeah, it does. Hey, do you know how to give a massage? I could really use one right now for this spot."

Byleth gave a warm smile as she nodded and said, "Have a seat here."

Dorothea sat herself next to Byleth as she removed her uniform's jacket, leaving her in just her black undershirt. Byleth put her hands to the singer's shoulder. She could immediately feel the tension in the girl's body.

"R-Right there," Dorothea said with a small hiss.

Byleth then began to knead through Dorothea's undershirt, trying to loosen the girl's strained shoulder. It was clear after a few seconds that she was doing something right, for Dorothea let out a pleasured "Mmm…" as Byleth kept rubbing her.

"Ahh, that's good… Keep going, Professor…"

As Byleth continued her massage, Dorothea's breathing became heavier and seemed to take on a tone that, if one did not see her, could have led one to think she was doing something far more sexual in nature. Fortunately, the two could be easily seen in the lounge, despite that the room was mostly empty.

"Ooh, you're good at this, Professor. Where'd you learn to do th-this?"

"I've had to do this for my father sometimes," said Byleth.

"I-Is that so…? That's n-niiice… Ohh…"

Then, as Byleth was about to continue, they saw a small gaggle of second-year girls coming by. They had evidently heard Dorothea's moans and come to see what she was doing.

Byleth couldn't quite make out what the girls were saying as they chittered among each other, but it was clear they looked at Dorothea with disdain. However, she was surprised when she heard one of the girls calling the singer "Opera slut…" under her breath.

Dorothea had evidently heard them, for her body went rigid under Byleth's touch. The brunette looked as if the girl who had insulted her had just slapped her.

"Oh, I think she heard you, Cistine," said one of the girls.

"Oh, what do I care what she thinks?" said Cistine, an arrogant girl with black hair. "Come on, girls. Let's see if we can mend a few of the hearts that slut has broken around here."

The second-year girls let out several giggles at Dorothea's expense as they left. Byleth didn't move to confront the girls, but she knew she would be speaking with the other Professors about it later.

Dorothea let out a loud sigh once they were out of earshot. She had completely forgotten about the massage at this point.

"Dorothea? Are you okay with them calling you that?" asked Byleth.

"It's alright, Professor," Dorothea said sullenly. "I've been called worse. And those girls are all talk, no action. But…"

"What is it?"

"They're not wrong about the whole 'broken hearts' thing. I know I've broken more than a few here at the Officers' Academy in my search for a good husband. It's just… I just have to find true love here. I just have to."

Byleth noted the tone of uncertainty in Dorothea's voice, but it wasn't uncertainty over finding a love interest. There was something else going on.

"Why is it so important to you?"

"You already know about my history as an orphan, Professor. Before I became a diva at the opera, I was just trying to survive day to day on the streets of Enbarr. I didn't have a roof over my head, I had to dress in rags, and even finding food to eat was a challenge. Have you ever known what it's like to be starving? Truly starving? It's horrible. It feels like your body is trying to devour itself. And to make it stop, you're willing to eat just about anything…" Dorothea shuddered at this moment and then said, "And I mean anything. I remember one time I hadn't eaten anything in three days, so I… I ended up catching a rat… and it was the worst thing I'd ever tasted."

"That's terrible…" Byleth said sympathetically.

"But then, I was singing to myself one day on the streets, and I was overheard by Manuela. That was when my new life began. I was suddenly a songstress in the Mittelfrank Opera Company. Performers, nobility, I met so many new people… especially Edie. I had a warm room, regular meals, clean clothes. The first few days I was there, I thought I was in a dream."

Byleth said nothing, allowing the singer to continue her tale.

"But then I realized… none of the nobles ever really knew me. The real me. No one except Edie, of course. To the others, I was just some young pretty girl who could sing, a spectacle to be admired. Even though everyone praised my looks and my voice, and they showered me with gifts… I knew, one day, I'd be old. My looks would fade, my voice would change, I wouldn't sound the same. And I started to wonder, when I did get old, what would I have left? I'd be old, alone… and back on the streets of the capital, right where I'd started." Dorothea took a deep breath and then said, "And that scared me. I had gotten a taste of what it was like to live a good life off the cold, cruel streets. I never wanted that to end. But I never had much to begin with in life, and I worry that one day, I'll be that way again… That's why I keep searching for someone who will love me. Someone unaware of the songstress, who can love a girl that used to be scared and alone on the streets of the capital… But…"

"What is it?"

"But then Anna told us about how she gave up being a noble to be free. She gave up a life of comfort and wealth so she could do whatever she wanted. It got me thinking… If I were to give myself to someone out of love, would I have to give up my freedom to do it? I wouldn't be able to go wherever I wished, talk to whoever I pleased. I'd be constraining myself to the expectations of nobility, all so I wouldn't be cold or hungry."

Byleth now understood the diva's dilemma.

Sighing, Dorothea said, "If only I could have the best of both worlds. Someone who would love me and care for me for who I am, but still let me have the freedom to do what I choose. I wonder… if such a strange person can even exist."

"You still have plenty of time to think it over, Dorothea," said Byleth. "You have a place here at Garreg Mach, and that's not going to change."

Dorothea made a little sniffle as she said, "Thanks for that, Professor. And thank you for listening. It means a lot to me."

…

Edelgard made a loud sigh as she sat in her room as she pondered everything so far that had come to pass. Hubert was busy preparing her some tea, as per his duties. The room was sealed, and no one was around to hear them. Edelgard was glad Hubert was so discretionary.

"You seem troubled, Lady Edelgard," said Hubert.

"Do I?" said the princess.

"It has to do with what happened in Remire, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does. The scope of that tragedy was… hard to take."

"It could have been far worse had it not been for our intervention. And especially had it not been for Dorothea."

"Yes…" Edelgard made a long pause, then took a deep breath and said, "Hubert, when I heard her singing for those people, it made me realize just what we had done to them. For the sake of our goal, we allowed Solon to massacre an entire village. Farmers, women, children, the elderly. Nearly all of them wiped out just so Solon could carry out his… experiment."

"You did not know he would commit such a vile act."

"But I allowed him to get away with it. I let them get away with it because I needed their support. And no doubt I'll need to sacrifice countless more before this is all over. I know I said I was willing to do such a thing, but I… I never imagined it would be this hard. And when I heard Dorothea sing, it just… I was just overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by guilt at what my ambitions had wrought. And if I continue this path, it will no doubt result in countless more tragedies like Remire."

Hubert paused for a moment before asking, "Are you, perhaps, having second thoughts?"

"Maybe I am. No, it's not a maybe. I cannot deny it. If this is going to be the cost of our revolution, will I be strong enough to endure so many more tragedies?" Sighing, Edelgard then said, "If only my time were not so limited. If only I could take another path that wouldn't need such senseless slaughter. But there is no other way. I have to see this through. I have to carry out our designs, or the future of Fódlan will be one of a slow, inexorable demise. I just…"

"You do not wish to be burdened by such guilt, Lady Edelgard?"

"No, that's not it. I must never forget such guilt. I must let it be my anchor to reality, the tether that grounds me to my purpose. The suffering we see today is precisely why I must make sacrifices to prevent it tomorrow. But at Remire, I forced such suffering not just on those people… I forced it upon her. When Dorothea was singing, I could feel her pain. And that… that was more terrible than anything I'd felt before. It is that guilt I wish I didn't have to feel."

Edelgard was silent after this as she helped herself to her tea. As she did, she was left completely unaware of a hidden figure eavesdropping on her words.

…

It was after midnight that a figure stealthily slinked through the shadows of Garreg Mach, avoiding a patrol of soldiers as it moved unseen and unheard. It soon reached a small cul-de-sac and placed a hand against a wall. As it did, a violet symbol briefly shimmered on the wall. It was not a Crest, but something far darker.

A second later, the figure vanished into thin air.

Underground, in a hidden room within Garreg Mach's catacombs, the figure rematerialized. The room was filled with several vials of poisons, sharpened daggers, and other tools for the trade of an assassin, all crude by the figure's standards. In the center of the room was a strange Magitek device set upon a table.

The figure picked up the device and, giving it a small squeeze, activated the communicator. A holographic image of a white-haired man in black robes appeared and looked at the figure.

"Report," said Thales.

"Everything is proceeding as planned, Agastya," said the figure in a playful feminine voice. "Though I think our dear Entei is getting cold feet on us."

"She underestimates how much sway we hold over her. Perhaps she needs a reminder of her place in our designs."

"Ooh, do you want me to cut her open?"

"No. We still require her for our goal. There is, however, one I wish for you to remove in the coming operation."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"You know of whom I speak. See that it is done."

"Of course, Agastya. It shall be done. Oh, by the way, you're not still bothering with that songbird, are you?"

"She will serve her purpose as well in time. Even the weak and stupid can have value if put to proper use."

"As you say, Agastya. But I heard something from Entei that I think you'll find interesting."

"Do tell, Kronya."

Within the shadows, Monica von Ochs made a sadistic smile as she continued her report to Thales.

* * *

_It's totally sensible that Edelgard would feel guilty over everything she's setting out to do. However, her compulsions would mean she pretty much has to keep going, and that she must be the one to revolutionize Fódlan. I was actually thinking of having Edelgard think about calling off everything she's been working on, but it makes more sense that she'd keep going even with so much guilt weighing her down because she thinks there's no other way._

_Big thanks to people on Reddit for helping me out with this scene, especially **r/Maritisa**. This stuff is very hard to write._

_I know it seems early for the Byleth/Dorothea A-Support, but I think with how I've been writing things that it makes sense for it to happen now. This doesn't mean we're going to see heavy romance yet, though there's definitely going to be some slight romantic stuff when the Ball comes around._


	83. Girls' Night

_More fanservice, more girl time, more bonding. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 83 – Girls' Night (Ethereal Moon)**

Hilda couldn't help but chuckle at seeing Ingrid try to struggle out of Dorothea's and Annette's grip. The two mages were trying to get the blonde to apply some makeup so she could learn to look her best for the ball, but Ingrid clearly did not like gussying herself up. She wasn't the only one, as Lysithea and Leonie could attest.

The girls were all gathered in a lounge in Garreg Mach, practicing with makeup and trying on dresses. Hilda had organized the get-together in preparation for the ball, so the first-year girls were all present. Byleth, however, was busy and could not attend, much to their disappointment. Flayn was also absent, attending to Church duties. Still, the girls were making the most of the gathering, trying on various dresses that Anna had provided as rentals. The redhead was now supervising the girls, mostly to make sure none of them damaged the dresses.

"Hey, Anna, are you going to be attending the dance?" asked Leonie.

"Me? Nah, I've got plans that night," said Anna. "I'll be having a drink or two with Jeralt."

"Mind if I join you?"

Anna laughed a bit at Leonie's question and said, "I think you're a bit too young to be drinking at a pub, Leonie."

"Hey, I'm already 20, you know!"

"Give it another year."

Leonie let out a groan of defeat and said, "No fair…"

"Why would you wanna get yourself plastered instead of going to the dance anyway?" asked Hapi. "At least you're allowed to go."

"Captain Jeralt's a big drinker, so I figure I gotta be able to hold down a beer or two if I'm gonna make it as a mercenary someday."

"That's… not a good example to follow," said Anna.

"But hey, Hapi, aren't you going to the dance?"

"Nope. The Knights think I'd be too much of a risk if I sighed."

"What?! That's so unfair!" said Hilda.

"It's fine, Hilda. I'm not that big on dancing anyway, and I don't wanna get in the way of you guys having a good time."

"Even so…"

"Ow! D-Dorothea, that hurt!" yelped Ingrid.

"Well, you need to stop squirming!" Dorothea said firmly as she continued working on the blonde's hair. "

"W-Why do I have to do this anyway?"

"Because you want to be looking your best at the ball, silly. Haven't you ever been to one before?"

"No, actually!"

"Well then, if this is gonna be your first dance, you gotta look the part!" said Annette.

"Annie's right, Ingrid," said Dorothea. "When we're done with you, you'll have boys begging for you to go with them!"

"W-Well, they're going to be – Ow! – disappointed, because I'm a-already going with Sylvain."

"Really? Why that pervert?" asked Hapi.

"To make sure that he doesn't break the heart of every girl at the dance."

Hilda couldn't help but laugh as she said, "That's awfully considerate of you, Ingrid." Then, turning to the others, the pinkette asked, "Hey girls, out of curiosity, who's going with who?"

"Well, I have no one I plan to go to the dance with," said Edelgard. "But surely there will be many seeking to share a dance with me. That is, if they can get past Hubert."

Dorothea couldn't help but snicker at this.

"On that note, Hilda, who are you going with?" asked Edelgard. "You first asked the question, so it should fall on you to be the first to share."

"You got me there, Edelgard," said Hilda. "I was actually going to go with Caspar."

"Really?" Dorothea asked incredulously. "Even after all the times he's gotten a feel on you?"

The other girls couldn't help laughing at this, which made Hilda blush in embarrassment.

"H-Hey, those were all accidents! And if I'm being honest, he's kinda cute at times."

"I've got more boys asking me to the dance than I can count," said Dorothea. "Part of being the winner of the White Heron Cup, I suppose. What about you, Mercedes? Anybody ask you out?"

"Well, Ashe asked me to go to the dance with him," said Mercedes.

"He did? When?" asked Ingrid.

"It was after he was wounded when we were at Pallardó's fort. I was treating his wounds and he asked if I wanted to go to the dance with him."

"And you accepted, Mercedes?" Constance asked in disapproval. "He is hardly up to your standard."

"It's not about standards, Constance. Ashe is a really nice person."

"Speaking of standards, what about you, Coco?" asked Hapi. "I'm guessing it's the Ferd, right?"

"Indeed, Hapi. Ferdinand was quite the romantic when he presented me with a flower and asked me to accompany him to the ball. How could I refuse?"

Dorothea had to roll her eyes at this. Constance noticed this and gave a small scoff at the singer.

Petra then said, "I am having the invitation to dance from Claude."

"Ooh, Claude asked you? Lucky you, Petra," said Hilda. "What about you, Lysithea? Anybody you're interested in?"

"No, I am afraid not," said Lysithea. The girl was tucking herself away in a corner as she fiddled with her dress, her back turned to the others.

"Me neither," said Leonie. "Doesn't mean I won't show up, but I don't think too many of the boys are interested in a country girl."

"Oh, don't go saying that, Leonie," said Dorothea. "You might not compare to someone like me in the looks department, but I've met more than a few guys who like a tomboy."

"Tomboy? But Leonie is not a man," said Petra. Then, seeing the others were giving her a familiar look, Petra said, "I am having misunderstanding again."

After a short giggle, Dorothea then turned and asked, "Well, what about you, Bern?"

"W-What, me?" Bernadetta squeaked. "I barely know anybody. What makes you think anyone would want to dance with me? I don't even wanna go! There'll be so many people there."

"Bern, come on, it's not that bad. And there's gotta be someone you'd want to go with."

"Annie, what about you?" asked Mercedes.

"Me? Oh, I actually asked Felix, but he–"

"Felix?" Dorothea interrupted.

"He said he wasn't interested, but I really wanted to go with him."

"Well, knowing him, he's probably not much of a dancer. Don't worry, Annette, I'm sure someone will be glad to join you there."

As Annette sulked a bit, the girls suddenly heard Lysithea mumble, "C-Come on, get in there!"

"Lysithea, what are you doing back there?" asked Edelgard.

"Huh? Oh, nothing important!"

"Do you need some help with your dress, Lysithea?" asked Mercedes. The blonde then stepped toward the diminutive white-haired girl to see what the problem was.

"N-No! I'm fine! There's no need to–"

Upon reaching Lysithea, Mercedes looked down at the girl and made a gasp of surprise. Curious, Dorothea stood up from working on Ingrid's hair and walked over to Mercedes.

"What is it, Mer…cedes?"

As she looked down at Lysithea, who was trying to fit into a long violet ballroom gown, she saw that one of the girl's flat breasts now looked far larger, but it was only on one side. Upon a closer inspection, the singer saw something underneath the girl's undershirt and brassiere.

Boldly, Dorothea reached into Lysithea's undershirt as the girl let out a surprised yelp.

"D-Dorothea!" Lysithea shrieked. "What are you– No, don't!"

A second later, Dorothea pulled her hand out, now clutching a peculiar piece of padded fabric. The others looked on silently as Lysithea's face began to turn red.

Hilda was the first to burst out laughing as she said, "I-I-Is that a pad?! L-Lysithea, were you t-trying to…?" Unable to finish, Hilda burst out in hysterical laughter.

"S-Shut up!" Lysithea snapped as she stormed over to Hilda. "Don't you go judging me when you've got these fat things!"

Hilda stopped laughing and let out a yelp of surprise as Lysithea gave her breasts a hard grab through the pinkette's dress, which was made to show a large amount of cleavage. Lysithea dug her fingers deep into Hilda's tits, leading to the pinkette crying out in pain.

"OW! OUCH! L-LYSITHEAAA!"

"Did they get BIGGER?! You're going to be having boys all over you at the ball because of these things! And what's with this dress of yours, anyway?! Maybe you should just let them see everything!"

Before anyone could stop her, Lysithea pulled back hard on the blouse of Hilda's dress, ripping it down the middle along with Hilda's bra. Hilda's breasts spilled out of confinement, making her shriek in embarrassment as she covered herself. Leonie stepped in at this moment, grabbing Lysithea by the collar and hoisting her off the ground.

"Hey! Don't go ripping it!" said Anna. "You're renting those dresses, remember?!"

Lysithea didn't hear Anna as she thrashed about in Leonie's grip.

"Oh no, Hilda, let me see," said Mercedes.

"L-Lysithea, why'd you go and do THAT?!" said Hilda.

"That was… rather uncalled for," said Edelgard.

Growling, Lysithea calmed down a bit as she said, "B-But she's just so huge…"

"Lysithea, that's nothing to be ashamed of," said Dorothea. "Why were you trying to pad out your chest, anyway?"

"Because I wanted to look more mature for the ball. Everyone here just keeps treating me like a child. I thought, maybe, if I could make myself look bigger, they might take me seriously."

"Lysithea, you don't need to look bigger to seem more mature. You're one of the smartest people I know. You're the best mage in our year."

"A-Ahem!" Constance snapped, but Dorothea ignored her.

"But still, I just…" Lysithea blushed as she was set down by Leonie.

"You need to be more confident in your body, Lysithea," said Dorothea.

"Confident in my body?! But I'm so frail and short and flat compared to you!"

"That's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, Edie's the same as you."

"Dorothea's right, Lysithea," said Edelgard. Then, realizing what Dorothea had said, Edelgard said with a blush, "Wait, what?! Dorothea!"

This prompted the others to laugh at Edelgard's expense.

"The point is that you don't have to be tall or buxom to look beautiful, Lysithea. You just need a little makeup and you'll be fending off the boys in no time!"

"Yeah, Lysithea! Just leave it to us!" said Annette.

"Well… alright," Lysithea said in disappointment. "But I'd still like to pad out my chest a little, if it's all the same to you."

Dorothea had to let out a sigh at this. "We'll see what we can do," she said as she led Lysithea to a chair so she and Annette could get started.

As Lysithea allowed the two mages to start gussying her up, Hilda said crossly, "She didn't have to ruin my dress."

"I think I can fix it, Hilda," said Mercedes. "But you'll need to take it off for now."

"Oh, alright. Hey, Anna, keep an eye out for perverts, would you?"

"You got it, Hilda," said Anna. "Oh, and Lysithea, you damaged it, so I'm taking that out of your wallet. Got it? Good."

Lysithea was about to protest, but upon realizing Anna was right she simply let out a defeated sigh.

Hilda then stripped out of the dress, leaving her just in her panties, stockings and a set of garters. Realizing she was still topless, the pinkette looked around to find another bra her size.

"Here, Hilda," said Marianne, the bluette handing Hilda an undershirt.

"Thanks, Mary," Hilda said as she slipped the undershirt on. But as soon as she did, she said, "Uh, Mary, is this supposed to be a large?"

"What?"

Marianne looked at Hilda's chest and blushed as she realized the undershirt was too small. The pinkette's breasts were stretching out the fabric, causing the outline of her nipples to be visible through the shirt.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Marianne said sheepishly. "I'll find another one!"

"It's okay for now, Mary. Just a little tight, that's all." Hilda brought her hands down to her breasts, giving herself a short grope before saying, "Lysithea's right, I think I got bigger again."

"A-Again?!" Lysithea said in comical dismay. Next to her, Annette let out a short groan of disappointment.

Then, upon realizing something, Hilda said, "Hey Mary, we never asked you who you were going with to the ball."

"M-Me?" Marianne said in sudden fearfulness.

"Hey, you're right," said Dorothea. "So, come on, Marianne. Have you asked anybody out to the dance yet?"

"I… um…" Marianne began to blush again.

"You have, haven't you?" said Hilda. "Who is it? Is it Ignatz? Lorenz? Oh, maybe someone from the second-year class?"

"N-No, that's not…"

"Come on, Marianne," Annette said enthusiastically.

"It would be unbecoming of you not to reveal your dance partner for the ball, Marianne von Edmund," said Constance.

"I am having wonder at your partner in dancing," said Petra.

"Can't say I'm not curious," said Leonie.

"Come on, Mary! Tell us!" Hilda said cheerfully.

The others curiously began bombarding Marianne with their requests to know who she had asked out to the ball. The pale bluette squirmed where she stood, and it was clear she was being overwhelmed by peer pressure.

Then, shutting her eyes, Marianne blurted out, "P-Prince Dimitri!"

This left everyone in the room silent.

"I asked Dimitri to go to the dance with me! And… And he said yes…!"

After another moment of silence, Marianne finally realized what she had blurted out, and now she was trembling where she stood. Her mortified face was positively glowing bright pink.

Hilda then said, "Whoahohoa! Way to go, Mary! You got the big catch!"

"Congratulations, Marianne!" said Mercedes.

"Very impressing– er, impressive," said Petra.

"Not that I disapprove," said Edelgard, "but why did you ask out Dimitri?"

"H-He's saved my life so many times over this year," said Marianne. "And I… I wanted to repay him for it all."

"Well, good for you, Marianne!" said Dorothea. "Once we're done with Lysithea, we'll make sure to spruce you up so Dimitri will fall head over heels for you!"

"W-What?! No, that's not–"

It was at this moment that Petra made a short, audible breath as she realized something was amiss. She began darting her eyes around the room, an act that did not go unnoticed.

"Petra? What's going on?" Bernadetta asked as fear began to overtake her. "We're under attack, aren't we? I just know it!"

"We are being watched," said Petra.

Alarmed, the girls looked around the room, but could find no sign that anyone was peeping at them. Hilda was particularly concerned, as she was still dressed in her undersized undershirt. She wasn't shy about showing off her body, but she preferred it on her terms.

"If it's Sylvain again, I'm going to make him wish he was never born," Ingrid said crossly.

Then, Hapi noticed something above one of the low cabinets. Close to the ceiling there was a hole in the wall.

She saw someone's brown eye peering through the hole. It blinked as it realized Hapi had spotted it.

"There!" Hapi shouted as she readied a Miasma Δ spell and fired it at the crack in the wall. The wall exploded as a much bigger hole was blown in it, and the girls heard a loud yelp come from the room next door.

The girls rushed over as the dust settled, revealing Balthus groaning as he lay on his back.

"B!" Hapi snapped angrily.

"Oh, hey ladies," Balthus said nervously. Then, trying to look cool, he said, "Love the dresses."

"Balthus von Albrecht, are you truly so shameless?!" said Constance as she was about to ready a fireball.

"And here I thought only Sylvain was bold enough to spy on us while we're dressing!" said Ingrid.

"You pervert!" Annette said angrily.

"Hey, come on, no need to get all upset," said Balthus. "I just couldn't help myself."

"Really? You couldn't help yourself?" Leonie said in a tone that showed she didn't believe Balthus for a second.

"Yeah, sure. You lovely ladies are all looking so fine right now, a guy like me can't resist a peek."

The girls all let out angry scowls at Balthus, but he kept his cool. That is, until he saw Hilda shaking in fury at him.

She had realized that Balthus had seen her topless. And even now, she saw his gaze centering on her stretched out undershirt.

"Baltie…" Hilda seethed.

"Uh, Hilda…?" Balthus began to break out in a cold sweat.

"YOU ARE THE WORST!"

…

Sylvain moved as silently as he could, creeping up to where the girls were gussying themselves up. He knew a perfect hole in the wall where he could peek into the room without being noticed.

But as he turned a corner that led to the rooms, he saw Balthus laying on his back. The self-proclaimed King of Grappling looked as though he had been beaten within an inch of his life.

Balthus groaned in pain on the floor as Sylvain wisely chose to walk away from the scene.

* * *

_Wise choice, Sylvain. Wise choice._

_This chapter does contain a lot of the pairings I'm planning on having long-term, but not all of them. I'm sure there are a few you think aren't the best pair-up, but a lot of these are my preferred pairings for the cast. Especially Marianne/Dimitri; that one is just so precious (and their support chain is very well-written)._

_And yeah, more fun poked at Hilda's funbags, and Lysithea's lack thereof. Am I taking too much away from Lysithea's identity in giving her a flat-chest complex?_

_And you might think I'm being mean to Hapi since she won't be at the ball, but don't worry. She'll still have a good time._

_Anyhow, I plan to have the Ball start after the next chapter. Next chapter is going to be the promise of reunion, and is going to be my own take on such a thing. Wish me luck!_


	84. Promise of Reunion

_Now for my take on The Promise, one that will differ greatly from the in-game versions._

_Oh, and a brief mention of a character who I've totally forgotten to have in the story by now._

* * *

**Chapter 84 – Promise of Reunion (Ethereal Moon)**

It was the 24th of the Ethereal Moon, the night before the ball. But it was also the eve of the anniversary of the Founding of Garreg Mach Monastery. And as was the custom for hundreds of years, that meant a great feast was held in the dining hall, one that everyone was encouraged to be a part of.

From where she sat, Dorothea could see everyone else enjoying themselves. All three hosues were seated together, with several of the dining tables lined up and loaded with food. And, just as she had expected, it was little short of utter chaos.

Raphael was easily consuming the largest amount of food out of the first-year students, so much so that the others were trying to get him to slow down, especially Lorenz.

"Mmm! Dish ish sho good!" Raphael said as bits of food fell from his mouth.

"Raphael, must you have such slovenly table manners?" said Lorenz. "At least take the time to chew before you speak."

"Oh, lighten up, Lorenz," said Leonie as she bumped him with her elbow. "You know how Raphael gets when he's got this much food before him."

Raphael stopped for a second, and actually took the moment to swallow before he said, "Oh, sorry guys. I just realized I had all this stuff here and thought maybe you wanted some."

"I am more than satisfied with my own portion, Raphael," said Lorenz.

"You call that a portion?" said Leonie, gesturing to the small amounts of food on Lorenz's plate. "Pass some of that beef over, Raphael."

As Raphael handed his plate of meat over to Leonie, Lorenz said, "Leonie, you know I detest–"

The Sauin hunter ignored him and scooped several slices of beef onto the violent-haired noble's plate, which earned a loud groan from Lorenz.

As she let out a smile at seeing Lorenz, Dorothea saw Annette was trying to get Felix to accept a serving of spicy fish, but it looked as though Felix didn't want to accept it when others were looking.

"Come on, Felix," said Annette. "I worked really hard on this."

"Wait, you made it?" Felix asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I know you like spicy stuff! And I really wanted to make something you'd like. So, please?"

Felix paused for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Alright, alright, you win," he said as he accepted the plate of spicy fish.

Dorothea had to snicker at this. Felix could never really say 'no' to Annette for long.

Continuing her look around the dining hall, Dorothea saw Caspar ignoring Linhardt as the sleepy healer tried to get the bruiser to eat at a slower pace. But as he tried to swallow another serving of meat, Caspar made a brief choking sound before grabbing a glass of water and chugging it down, followed by the teal-haired boy gasping for breath.

"I told you not to eat so fast," said Linhardt.

"I-I'm fine, Linhardt!" Caspar coughed, trying to look like nothing had gone wrong.

"Caspar, there's no need to rush," Hilda said as she sat across from him. "There's still plenty left to go around."

A loud laugh from Constance made Dorothea flinch as she turned to listen to the blonde sorceress as she spoke with Edelgard. Hubert had apparently just chased off one of the second-year boys as he tried to ask Edelgard out to the ball.

"He actually thought himself worthy of being your partner in dance, Lady Edelgard?" Constance said snidely.

Edelgard said nothing to this, looking at Constance with some exasperation.

Dorothea decided to look elsewhere and found herself watching as Ignatz was approached by Flayn.

"Ignatz, might I have a word?" asked Flayn.

"Oh, what is it, Flayn?" Ignatz said in surprise.

"I have… not yet found a partner for the ball tomorrow. My brother has been frightening off anyone who has wanted to ask me to accompany them. But I still want to go with someone."

"Is that so? Well, I haven't found anyone to go with myself, either."

"Then, would you perhaps be willing to be my partner to the ball?"

"M-Me? But what would Seteth say?"

"Please, Ignatz? You may be my last hope at having a partner to the ball!"

"I… um… well, if that's the case, then I suppose I…"

"You'll go with me? Oh, wonderful! Thank you so much, Ignatz!"

"W-Wait, I–"

Dorothea decided to quickly look around for Seteth. She saw him off at the side of the dining hall, and he had clearly noticed Flayn had asked Ignatz out. Ignatz saw him looking at him and nearly panicked at the advisor's stern countenance. Seteth took a step forward before Anna stretched a hand in front of him, stopping his advance. The redhead had been invited to the feast by Byleth and was currently taking a break from her meal.

"Being a bit too overprotective there, Seteth," said Anna.

"I merely wish to make it clear to Ignatz that–"

"Jeez, lighten up a little, would you? She'll be fine with him, okay? Have a little faith. Besides, you're gonna scare the kid to death with that look."

Seteth wanted to protest, but he realized Anna wasn't going to let him pass. He let out a defeated sigh as he shook his head.

It was then that a familiar suave voice said to Dorothea, "Awfully lively here today, isn't it?"

Gasping in surprise, Dorothea whipped around with an irate expression as she looked at Yuri.

"What are you doing here, Yuri?" said Dorothea as she did her best not to look too spiteful in public.

"You sound like I wasn't invited here," said Yuri. "Well, turns out I was." Then, after Dorothea scowled at him, he said, "Still mad at me, I see. I get it. But just so we're clear, I'm not here to cause trouble. And I also wanted to ask you if there's anything I can do to make up for what I did to you. Maybe something like… being your dance partner at the ball?"

Dorothea couldn't help but let out a hearty "Ha!" at this. "You think you're so clever, Yuri, but that's one game I'm not playing with you. If you want my forgiveness, you have to do something for me."

"And… what would that be?"

Dorothea smiled at this, seeing the apprehension in Yuri's eyes, despite his attempts to hide it.

"You are going to ask out a friend of mine to the dance."

Yuri couldn't keep his confusion hidden at this point.

Dorothea then stood up, took Yuri by the arm, and said, "Follow me."

She then led him through the dining hall, catching a glimpse of Dimitri having a conversation with a smiling Marianne. Claude was also telling Petra an elaborate story that was probably untrue, but Petra seemed to be buying into it all the same.

Dorothea and Yuri soon stopped in the far corner of the dining hall, where Bernadetta was sitting alone.

"Hello, Bern," Dorothea said sweetly.

"Ah! Oh, Dorothea, don't scare me like that," Bernadetta squeaked. "I– wait, why is Yuri with you?"

"Yuri wanted to ask you something. Go ahead, Yuri."

Despite being more-or-less coerced into it, Yuri smiled as he took a seat across from Bernadetta.

"I hear you haven't got anyone going to the ball with you, Bernadetta," said Yuri.

"No, I don't," said Bernadetta. "I wasn't even planning to go."

"Oh, don't go making that mistake. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. If you miss out on it, you'll eventually regret it. So, on that note, I'll make this simple: You wanna go to the ball with me?"

"W-W-What?! To the ball? With YOU?!"

"Bern, Yuri's right," said Dorothea. "If you were to sit out of the ball, you'd regret it for your whole life. And Yuri's willing to go with you. Come on, Bern, it'll be fun."

"I… umm… I g-guess I could go if… if it's with you… Yuri…"

"Excellent," said Yuri. "So, tomorrow at sundown, then? Good."

"W-Wait! Let me give it some thought!"

But it was already too late. Dorothea and Yuri had chosen then to step away from Bernadetta as the purple-haired girl fidgeted in confusion.

"So, does that mean I'm off the hook with you?" Yuri asked in a sly tone.

"It's a start," said Dorothea. "And you had better not make her sad tomorrow evening, or I'll make sure you regret it."

Dorothea walked away from Yuri as Balthus and Hapi called him over. The singer made her way back toward her seat at the table and saw, to her surprise, that Byleth had arrived and was seated next to Dorothea's spot. The teacher had been called away by Rhea nearly an hour ago, so Dorothea had worried that she wasn't going to come back for the rest of dinner.

"Professor, you're back!" said Dorothea as she took her seat.

"I'm sorry I took so long," said Byleth. "Rhea had a lot to discuss."

With an understanding smile, Dorothea and Byleth turned back to watch the others as they continued their feast. Lysithea was smiling blissfully as Mercedes brought more dessert to her. Ingrid was letting out a sigh as she sat next to Sylvain while he tried to flirt with a pair of second-year girls, both who snubbed his advances. Ashe was now trying to help Linhardt in making Caspar slow down his meal while Hilda laughed at Caspar's antics. Ferdinand was now proclaiming how he would be the best dancer at the ball before an exasperated Edelgard and a perturbed Constance. At the Knights' table, Catherine again let out a loud yelp as Shamir stomped on her foot after the swordswoman had grabbed her rear. Cyril was quick to scold Catherine afterwards, leading to Alois chuckling at Catherine's antics.

Dorothea then noticed Byleth smiling at what she saw. Tables full of students, teachers, and Knights all enjoying themselves and each other's company.

It was then that Dorothea made her move, something she had been thinking about for the past few days.

She rose to her feet and, taking a fork, began to tap it against her glass of water. The resulting chime could be heard throughout the dining hall.

"Everyone? Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Dorothea said loudly.

Everyone in the dining hall turned to look at the brunette as she began her speech.

"I just wanted to say that… it's been nearly a whole year since I began attending at the Officer's Academy. And while this year hasn't been perfect, and… has been with its ups and downs, I feel we are so blessed to have met so many wonderful people here at the monastery. People from the Adrestian Empire, the Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Leicester Alliance, all under one roof. We've all come such a long way since we first started here nearly one year ago. Now, tomorrow is going to be the 995th anniversary of Garreg Mach Monastery. A big event, to be sure, but… Five years from today is going to be the millennium festival for the monastery. The 1000th anniversary of its founding. I'm sure it'll be like nothing else the people of Fódlan have ever seen."

Dorothea took a short moment to pause as she looked at the others. The singer had their full attention, and they were eager to hear what she had to say next.

"So, I was thinking… that on that day, five years from now, we should all return here for one big reunion!"

This caused quite the stir among those present in the dining hall, but it was clear the others liked the idea.

Continuing her speech, Dorothea said, "I know some of you will be busy with new work and that some of you will be taking thrones and all, but it would really mean the world to me– um, to us, to all of us, if you were to show up on that day. You, my dear friends from the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, and Ashen Wolves. And of course, you, our dear Professor Byleth!"

In surprise, Byleth said, "M-Me?"

"Of course, Professor! It wouldn't be a stretch to say that you're the heart of our first-year semester here at Garreg Mach. It just won't be the same if you're not there. Am I right?"

This was met with the others unanimously agreeing with Dorothea.

"You see, Professor? So, will you make it a promise?"

Byleth hesitated for a second, and then smiled as she said, "It's a promise, Dorothea."

"I must say, that's awfully impetuous of you, Dorothea," said Claude. "Perhaps irresponsible. Almost certainly impossible. But if Teach is going to show up, then I'll have to be there too, won't I?"

"Indeed," said Dimitri. "Although, by that time, I will surely be king, so I may not have the luxury to come at such a time."

"Oh, don't say that, Dimitri!" said Annette. "You've just gotta come!"

"I know you'll be busy by then, but it's a bit early to be backing out, don't you think?" said Mercedes.

"As the new leader of the Alliance, I will certainly have the occasion to attend and pay my respects to Lady Rhea," said Lorenz.

"That almost certainly will not transpire," said Lysithea.

"I will be giving my all to attending our rejoining," said Petra. "You will be seeing how much growing I have done."

Sylvain was about to say something perverted regarding Petra's wording but stopped when Ingrid glared at him.

"It would certainly be interesting to see how much you will have improved by then, Dorothea. As well as you, Professor Eisner," said Felix.

"You can count on me being there!" said Anna. "I'll have a bunch of new stuff to sell by then!"

The others began voicing their own desire to return to the monastery for the reunion. Dorothea's face beamed with a joyous smile.

But then she realized someone wasn't joining in on the promise.

"Thank you, thank you, everyone!" the singer said to the crowd. "I'm so glad you're all agreeing to this!" Then, turning to Edelgard, she said, "Of course, it won't be a big reunion without our yet-to-be-crowned Emperor, will it?"

Edelgard had to fight not to flinch at this, and she was thankful no one noticed her.

"You'll be here when the time comes, right Edie?"

"I…" Edelgard paused before she said, "Who knows where each of us will be in five years' time… or who we will become."

"Edie, you're saying that as if you won't be here. But you'll be coming, won't you?"

The others eagerly awaited Edelgard's answer as she took another pause.

"I will… endeavor to be here, Dorothea."

Dorothea seemed to accept this answer, much to Edelgard's relief.

"So, it's settled!" said Dorothea. "We'll all be here five years from now, no matter what!" The singer then turned to Byleth and said warmly, "No matter what, Professor Byleth, I'll be here on that day."

…

The following morning was a nearly perfect winter day. The sun was out, the temperature was just right, and the workers at Garreg Mach were busy preparing the main hall for the festivities that would come that night.

Dorothea watched with amusement as Annette and Mercedes went to gather the first-year girls to get their makeup and dresses ready. She knew it was going to take those two all day, especially since they now had to get Bernadetta all prettied up for Yuri.

The singer was going to join them soon, but first she had something she wanted to do. An idea that had been given to her by the Gatekeeper.

The singer made her way to Byleth's room with a letter in her hand. She knocked on the door, planning to leave the letter in plain sight without the teacher seeing her.

There was no answer. Nothing could be heard from within the room.

Dorothea knocked again, and again there was no answer.

Realizing Byleth had to be out, Dorothea slipped the letter between the door, leaving more than enough outside for someone to see it. Then, taking a moment to make sure Byleth wasn't around to see this, the singer ran off to go help the other girls prepare for the ball.

But as she got out of eyesight of the letter, a small gust of wind knocked it loose from the door, making it fall to the ground.

Then, as if on cue, a limber ball of hair in the form of a Riegan Tabby darted up to the letter, took it in its teeth, and let out a muffled "Reow~" as it scurried away with its prize.

* * *

_I'm so sorry I haven't had any Gatekeeper appearances. I know he's the best boy, but I just can't write him in without it feeling super forced. :(_

_I know I'm still putting off the romantic stuff between Byleth and Dorothea, but I have to make sure the timing is right. We all know how teacher/student romances can be seen as dicey. I guarantee, however, that there'll be a moment when we get to the Goddess Tower event._


	85. The Ball, Part 1

_Start the fancy music and let's get this chapter underway._

* * *

**Chapter 85 – The Ball, Part 1 (Ethereal Moon)**

To say that the main hall of Garreg Mach was crowded on the evening of the 25th of the Ethereal Moon would be an understatement. Students from the academy, dressed in fine suits and beautiful dresses, filled the hall as they danced with their partners to the sound of violins. Blushes could be found on many different faces as boys and girls found themselves staring into each other's eyes, though quite a few blushes were the result of something else entirely.

Many such red faces resulted when Dorothea stepped her way into the hall. She wore the same red dress she had worn during the White Heron Cup, but without the red shawl Byleth had insisted on. This allowed people to get a good look at her cleavage, as well as exposed the skin of her back to those who looked at her from behind. Combined with her luxurious brown hair and the assortment of jewelry she wore, she looked like the wife to some rich noble, a dream she hoped she would eventually fulfill.

As others clamored to admire or praise her, Dorothea smiled as she looked at the others as they enjoyed themselves at the ball.

…

Lorenz made a loud gasp as one of the second-year girls strode away from him, having first delivered quite the insulting refusal to his offer for a dance. This had been his fifth denied request in a row.

"How can this be?" Lorenz pondered aloud. "I cannot be that undesirable to them, can I?"

"Well, this is unsurprising," said a familiar tomboyish voice.

Lorenz spun around to see Leonie approaching him. The girl had opted not to wear a dress, not wanting to pay the rental fee, and had chosen instead to show up in her academy uniform.

"Leonie," Lorenz said, unamused by her quip. "I do not see you having any more luck at finding a dance partner."

"That's because I'm not looking for one," said Leonie. "All this fancy-schmancy stuff isn't for me."

"Then why, pray tell, did you even come to this gathering?"

"Thought you might end up getting shot down by every girl you approached tonight."

"And why would this concern you?"

"Hey, are you gonna ask me twenty questions or are you gonna dance with me?"

"With… you?"

"Sure. I mean, why the heck not? And don't give me that 'nobles and commoners' crap, okay?"

Lorenz was about to scold Leonie for her foul mouth again, but upon realizing she was probably the best chance he had for a dance, he sighed, raised his hand to her, and said, "Very well, Leonie. Would you accept this dance?"

Leonie smiled at him and took Lorenz by the wrist, before following him onto the dance floor as others looked on.

…

At the entrance to the main hall, Bernadetta was shaking in absolute terror as people passed her by. The purple dress that Hilda had picked out for her made her look like a delicate flower to others, and her normally messy hair had been finely combed and washed.

But there was no sign of her date.

Bernadetta whimpered as she said to herself, "Oh, you should've seen this coming, Bern… Of course Yuri wouldn't show up for you. No one wants to go to a dance with you…"

Though others would've just dismissed her words as her usual panicky pessimism, if they were to look closer, they would've seen the fearful girl's eyes begin to water. They weren't tears of fear, but tears of rejection and loneliness.

"Finally found you," said a voice that made Bernadetta shriek.

The girl whipped around and jumped back to see Yuri standing before her, dressed in a fancy rogue's finery. It wasn't the sort of thing one would see a noble wearing, but more akin to a dashing thief from an old tale.

"Y-Y-Yuri! You actually came?!" Bernadetta said in disbelief.

"Of course I did, Bernadetta," said Yuri. "I mean, Dorothea would probably skin me alive if I didn't."

"What? Hey, don't say such terrible things about her, Yuri! She wouldn't do that to you!"

"You sure? I hear she broke your father's arm."

"W-Well, that… umm…"

Laughing, Yuri said, "I'm just messing with you, Bernadetta. Now, come on, I promised you a good time tonight, and I keep my promises."

Yuri then presented a hand to Bernadetta. After a moment's hesitation, she gingerly took hold of him and allowed Yuri to lead her into the crowd.

Bernadetta did not take her eyes off Yuri as she walked, knowing she would probably have a heart attack if she looked anywhere else at that moment.

…

Constance and Ferdinand felt the eyes of the others upon them as they twirled and stepped across the hall, their arms and hands entwined in their dance. The heiress of Nuvelle was wearing a truly bizarre maroon and pink dress, while Ferdinand was dressed in a fine black suit. The two moved with impeccable grace and dignity as the others watched them and whispered among themselves, thinking the two a perfect pair.

"Ohhoho, my dear Ferdinand, it's been many a year now, and still you have not lost a step," Constance said to Ferdinand as the two danced in the center of the room.

"A noble like myself would never allow my skills in dance to dull," said Ferdinand. "And I am grateful that you too have not lost any of your grace despite–"

Constance stopped where she stood as Ferdinand realized he had made a huge mistake.

"Despite what, Ferdinand?" Constance said sternly.

"N-Nothing…"

Constance decided to drop the subject, not wanting to make a huge scene.

"Oh, Ferdinand, might I have this dance?" said a girl from the crowd.

The two turned to see who it was. The girl, Ludmilla, was a brunette from the second-year students and a member of a minor noble's house. The sight of her irked Constance.

As she snidely held out her hand, Ludmilla said, "Surely you'd prefer dancing with actual nobility and not with the last survivor of a dead house."

Constance made a short gasp as she stopped dead in her tracks. There was a small group gathering behind Ludmilla, each looking at Constance with disdain. It took all of Constance's restraint not to incinerate Ludmilla on the spot.

"I thank you for your kind offer, Ludmilla, but I must decline," said Ferdinand. "Constance is no less noble now than she was when House Nuvelle still stood. Now, I must insist that you not interrupt our dance further."

Ludmilla made an arrogant "Hmph!" as she strutted away from the two, followed by her snobby friends.

"F-Ferdinand…" Constance said as she began to blush. "Did you mean what you said?"

"Of course, Constance," Ferdinand said with a proud smile. "It'd hardly be noble of me not to acknowledge your own noble spirit."

Constance could not help but start giggling at Ferdinand's hammy words.

…

Ignatz was absolutely petrified as he stood next to Seteth. Anna wasn't around to stop him this time, so the advisor was giving the bespectacled boy a scrutinous glare.

"U-Umm, Seteth, sir?" Ignatz said nervously. "I j-just wanted to say that your sister–"

"What?" Seteth asked accusingly. "What do you have to say about Flayn?"

Ignatz looked like he was about to panic when Flayn came marching toward them. The green-haired girl was dressed in an adorable emerald dress, but still wore her hair in her usual two long drills.

"Brother! What are you doing to Ignatz?!" Flayn said sternly.

"Flayn, I am simply ensuring that he does not have anything sinister planned for you," said Seteth.

"M-Me? Sinister?!" Ignatz stammered.

"Brother! Must you be so paranoid?!" Flayn said in annoyance.

"Hey, cut it out, Seteth," said Raphael as he stepped over to the scene. He had several sticks of meat in his arms and had opted just to come in his normal uniform.

"Raphael, this does not concern you," said Seteth.

"Yeah it does. You're bullying my best friend. I know you're Lady Rhea's advisor and all, but that doesn't give you the right to pick on people like that."

"Raphael…" Flayn and Ignatz said in unison.

Seteth looked as if he was about to reprimand Raphael, but the muscular boy towered over him without any sign that he might flinch. Even with the vast amount of food in his arms, many thought Raphael looked cool standing up to Seteth.

Seteth let out a loud sigh and then said, "I see your point, Mr. Kirsten. My apologies."

With a smile, Raphael said, "You don't need to worry about my little buddy Ignatz, Seteth. He's not gonna do anything bad to Flayn. Right, buddy?"

"Of course not!" Ignatz said in surprise. "I wouldn't dream of it!"

"Come on, Ignatz!" Flayn said cheerfully. "Let us dance with the others!"

Flayn then took Ignatz by the hand, making him yelp in surprise as she led him to the dance floor while Seteth and Raphael watched. Within moments, the two were dancing to the music, leaving Flayn with a great big smile on her face as Ignatz's worries seemed to melt away.

Seteth couldn't help but smile at seeing Flayn enjoy herself.

Loud chewing sounds interrupted the moment, and Seteth turned with some annoyance as Raphael wolfed down a skewer of meat.

…

Ingrid was struggling not to fall over as she approached the main hall. She was wearing a white and green strapless dress with long white gloves, but it was her high heeled shoes that were making it hard for her to walk. She had never worn such footwear before, and it was a battle just to keep her balance.

"H-How do people walk in these things?" Ingrid muttered to herself as she braced herself against a wall.

"Well, someone took their time getting here," Sylvain said jokingly as he turned to greet her.

"I don't wanna hear it, Sylvain. Not a word."

"Fair enough, Ingrid. But I gotta say you… uh…"

Sylvain stammered as he realized just how beautiful Ingrid looked right now.

"I… what?" Ingrid asked in a perplexed tone.

"Y-You… uh… wow."

For a moment, Ingrid thought Sylvain was staring at the low neckline of her dress. Her face went red as she quickly brought an arm over her cleavage and she said, "Hey, stop staring, Sylvain!"

"Huh?! I wasn't… ugh, Ingrid, do you always have to think the worst of me?"

"You keep giving me cause to do so, Sylvain. Now come on, the others are surely waiting for us."

Ingrid then tried to continue toward the main hall, but as she tried to go up one of the steps, she started yelping as she lost her balance. Seeing her about to crash to the floor, Sylvain darted forward and caught Ingrid in his arms.

"Hey, you alright?" asked Sylvain.

"I'm… I'm fine," Ingrid said as her blush grew deeper. "It's these stupid shoes! Why do I have to wear these anyway?"

"Well, they look good on you."

"You and your glib tongue, Sylvain."

"I'm honest! You look fantastic, Ingrid. How come you don't dress like this more often?"

"Well, I wouldn't want you drooling at me every time I cross your path."

Ingrid had managed to stand herself upright again by this point, and so she wobbled her way into the main hall as Sylvain let out a loud sigh.

"Ingrid…"

…

Edelgard made an exasperated sigh as Hubert chased off another boy from the second-year students who offered to dance with her.

"Hubert, must you keep doing this?" asked Edelgard. "I can hardly enjoy myself if you plan to scare everyone off."

"They only seek to join you because you are the heir to the throne, Lady Edelgard," said Hubert. "And that is their only reason."

"You're starting to sound like Dorothea."

"Well, well, well, look who's all lonely and without a date tonight?" said Claude as he slinked his way toward Edelgard.

Petra was close behind Claude, dressed in a way that differed from everyone else at the ball. Hers was not a traditional dress, but one that reflected her Brigid origins. It was also, much to the alarm of various students, quite revealing, leaving Petra's back fully exposed above the waist.

"Claude, Petra, are you two enjoying yourselves?" asked Edelgard.

"I am having much enjoyment this evening," said Petra. "The dancing of Fódlan is very different from the dancing of Brigid."

"I've never seen a Brigid dance before. Perhaps you could… no."

"You are not wanting to see the dancing of Brigid?"

"It's not that. It's just that I've heard the dances of Brigid can be a bit too… energetic?"

"What is wrong with the energy?"

"She means to say that your people's form of dance may be too lurid for this audience," Hubert said succinctly.

"Hubert!" Edelgard scolded.

"Hehe, that's a shame," Claude said jokingly. "I'm sure Sylvain would've liked to see it. Anyhow, may I have the honor of this dance, Princess?"

Edelgard had to let out a smile as she said, "I suppose I'll have to settle for you, Claude. As for you, Hubert, please share a dance with Petra, would you? That's an order."

"As you wish, Lady Edelgard," said Hubert, his tone showing he wasn't entirely displeased with the idea of dancing with Petra.

…

Outside the main hall, Hapi was sitting in one of the hedgerows at a tea table, watching as happy students continued to pour into the building. None of them noticed her, each one too concerned with their dates or the chance to dance with nobility and royalty.

Hapi hadn't been allowed to go to the dance by the soldiers of the Church. Knowing of her sighing issue, they deemed her too risky to be among the students at such a joyous time. She hadn't protested it, knowing they were right to exclude her from the dance.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt for her.

As she saw another couple happily make their way into the main hall, the redhead lowered her head as she started crying.

"Hey, Hapi, what're you doing out here?" said Balthus as he marched up to her.

"Oh, hey B," Hapi said as she tried to avoid eye contact with him. "Just watching everyone else having the time of their lives."

"So why aren't you joining in?"

"Why aren't I– ugh, B, you already know why. I wasn't allowed to come. The Knights said I'd ruin everything if I ended up sighing."

"Well, that's a load of crap if I ever heard it. Come on, Hapi, you're not just gonna let them tell you not to have a good time, are you?"

Hapi said nothing to this, too caught up in her own misery.

But then, upon feeling Balthus grab her by the arm, her face lit up in alarm as he pulled her from her seat and began leading her toward the main hall.

"B? Hey! B, what are you doing?!"

"What does it look like? I'm taking you to the dance."

"B, you know I'm not allowed to–"

"Yeah, well if the Knights have a problem with it, I'll have it out with them. And if you end up sighing and bringing in a monster, I'll punch it out myself. Okay?"

"B-Balthus…"

Hapi was dumbstruck as she was led by the arm into the entrance hall, with several students now with looks of concern as Balthus brought her in from the cold.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" said one of the Knights who was supervising the dance. "She's not allowed in here!"

"You wanna argue that with me, pal?" said Balthus. "I haven't punched anything all day, and I could use a good workout. Or you could just let the lady enjoy herself and let me worry about it if she causes a fuss, okay?"

The Knight made a loud growl as Balthus began cracking his knuckles. But as he readied himself to fight for Hapi's chance to join in, several more Church soldiers stepped forward to assist the Knight. All around them, students began to murmur, thinking a fight was going to break out.

Having heard the commotion, Dorothea walked over to the entrance with worry written all over her face.

"What's going on here?" said Byleth as she stepped out of the shadows.

Everyone turned to look at the teacher. Byleth was wearing an extremely alluring black toga-like dress, which hung off her right shoulder in a way that made her enormous left breast look like it was going to pop out if she made a wrong move. A red sash acted like a corset for the whole thing, letting a long sheet drape down in front of her luscious legs. Behind her, a long cape-like skirt trailed her and almost reached her ankles. Various ceremonial pieces decorated the whole thing, but still left acres of Byleth's smooth skin on display.

Dorothea was amazed the teacher would wear something so revealing.

"P-Professor Eisner!" said the Knight as he stood at attention.

"I don't care what your reasons are," Byleth said sternly. "Hapi deserves to enjoy herself as much as anyone tonight. Is that clear?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

The soldiers backed off as Byleth gave Hapi a reassuring smile and a nod, telling the dark-skinned girl to go inside. With a smile on her face, Hapi followed Balthus into the hall.

As everyone else went to go back to the dance, Dorothea walked over to Byleth and said, "Nice timing, Professor. By the way, that's gotta be the raciest dress I've ever seen."

It was at this moment that Byleth's whole face went pink from embarrassment. Realizing how much skin she was showing, she couldn't figure out what to cover first.

"How'd you end up going with this?" Dorothea asked playfully.

"It… was Rhea's idea," Byleth said sheepishly. "She insisted that I…" The bluette couldn't even finish, too embarrassed by what she was saying.

* * *

_Ack, hit the 3,000 word limit again! We'll have to continue this next chapter._

_Byleth's basically wearing her Dancer outfit, so yeah, she's gotta be really embarrassed to wear something so revealing. Seriously, I don't even think Olivia from Awakening was this racy. I wonder why Rhea would make Byleth wear it... __( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

_EDIT: Someone claims I should've used the Sothis outfit for Byleth, but I have that one planned for the Holy Tomb scene. Oh, and Sothis is going to get her say in during the Ball. _

_I hope you're liking some of the interactions I'm putting in. There's more to come, and then we've still got the Goddess Tower event. Stay tuned!_


	86. The Ball, Part 2

_More of the Ball._

_WARNING - This chapter contains sexual content. Reader discretion is advised._

* * *

**Chapter 86 – The Ball, Part 2 (Ethereal Moon)**

Byleth couldn't tell which was making her blush more: the numerous gazes of boys and girls ogling her in her revealing dress, or the voice of Sothis making fun of her over it.

"I dare say this is something you are never going to be able to forget," said Sothis. "I am certain these children will never forget it."

Byleth struggled not to reply to Sothis' words as she danced with Edelgard. The princess had been among the first to request a dance with her, a request Byleth was happy to oblige.

"I have to say, I never would have imagined Rhea would have such a… peculiar wardrobe," said Edelgard. She too was blushing a bit at how much skin Byleth was revealing. "How did she manage to get you to wear this?"

"She said it was a traditional garb," Byleth said with uncertainty.

"Did she? Why do I suspect she only said that to get you to wear it?"

"W-Well, it would've been rude to turn it down…"

"A fair point, Professor. But still, she could've at least let you wear some more to cover yourself up."

Byleth continued to blush for a moment, something which Dorothea watched with a giggle. The singer presently was taking a rest from her own dancing, having been at it for an hour straight.

As she sipped on some water, she looked around at the others as they continued to enjoy themselves.

…

Marianne moved slowly with Dimitri in a gentle waltz. The heiress of House Edmund was dressed in a conservative gown of ocean blue, one that made her look pristine and serene. Dimitri, on the other hand, wore a regal ensemble that truly befit his royal status.

But the two had been dancing for some time now, and Marianne hadn't spoken a word. She was doing her best to avoid eye contact with Dimitri.

"Marianne, is something wrong?" Dimitri finally asked. "You've been silent ever since we started. And your eyes continue to avoid my gaze."

"I… I'm sorry," said Marianne.

"What is the matter? Are you perhaps dissatisfied with my own abilities as a dancer? I cannot say that I am much of one."

"N-No, it's not that… It's just…" Marianne's cheeks began to turn pink as she couldn't bring herself to say what she was thinking.

"Tell me what is on your mind, Marianne."

"I… umm… I r-really appreciate you a-accepting to be my date this evening. It's just…" Marianne turned her head to stare into Dimitri's eyes as she said, "When I look at you like this, I can't help but think about what happened at… at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion."

It took Dimitri a moment to recall this, and now he began to blush.

"Oh… Yes, that… That was…"

"The thing is…" Marianne paused for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "You've saved my life so many times over this year. I just… I wanted to r-repay you somehow…"

"Is that so? How were you planning to repay… me…?"

Dimitri was left stunned as Marianne began to lean toward him, raising her lips to his own for a kiss. Before they could connect, however, the crowd surrounding them noticed and their comments of awe and surprise startled the willowy healer.

Realizing what she was just about to do, Marianne quickly backed away.

"I'm sorry!" she said as her face went red. "I don't know what came over me! I just–"

Finally losing her nerve, Marianne turned and ran from Dimitri as the prince said, "Wait! Marianne!"

As Marianne fled the hall, Dimitri was left utterly dumbfounded at what had almost transpired.

…

Hilda made a short hiss as she narrowly avoided having Caspar step on her toes. It was the fourth time it had almost happened, and clearly showed the boy's lack of dancing ability. Then again, it might have been due to him being distracted by Hilda's pink dress, one that hugged her curves yet had a deep, plunging neckline that ended just below her breasts. It almost looked like it was one deep breath away from falling off her body.

Seeing his own mistake, Caspar said, "Sorry, Hilda. I really suck at this."

"It's okay, Caspar," Hilda said sweetly. "I've known worse dancers. You should see my brother."

"Hehe, yeah, Holst's got two left feet on him," said Balthus as he and Hapi waltzed nearby.

"Baltie? What's Hapi doing here?"

"B dragged me here," said Hapi. "Kinda sweet of him, actually."

"Wasn't about to let you just mope to yourself out in the cold," said Balthus.

"So, are you enjoying yourself, Hapi?" asked Hilda.

"Yeah. This is actually kinda fun," Hapi replied with a smile.

"Well, maybe you'd like to trade dance partners for a moment?"

"Uh, sure," Balthus said with sudden nervousness. "I mean, if you're up for that, Hilda."

As Hilda and Caspar moved toward Balthus and Hapi, however, Caspar accidentally stepped on the long skirt of Hilda's dress. The pinkette made a startled gasp as she was suddenly tripped, and with a series of yelps from both Caspar and Hilda, the two crashed to the floor in a heap, with Caspar somehow on top of Hilda.

"Ow…" Hilda moaned as she lay on the floor. "Sorry about that, Casp– AAH?"

Caspar, dizzy from his landing, had instinctively put his hands forward as he pushed himself up and, much to the amusement of everyone who was watching, he once again had Hilda's huge breasts in his hands. His clumsiness had even caused her left breast to pop out of her dress, and if one looked close enough they could've seen a rosy nipple between his fingers.

"C-C-C-CASPAR!" Hilda shrieked. "NOT AGAIN!"

Caspar instantly realized he had once again groped the pinkette, and he quickly removed his hands from her breasts as Hilda scrambled to cover herself.

"Hilda, I'm so sorry!" stammered Caspar. "I didn't mean to do that!"

Caspar quickly moved to try and get off her, but in doing so he accidentally pressed his knee right between Hilda's legs. This made the pinkette elicit a very noticeable moan, one that left her blushing even redder when she realized just how many people heard it.

There were already comments coming from some second-year students about Hilda, with one that caught Balthus' attention. All he had to hear were the words "Goneril tramp" and Balthus was storming toward the one who had uttered them, issuing them a challenge for a fight.

Sitting on the ground as her eyes welled up with tears of embarrassment, Hilda said in a fit of pique, "Why are your hands so attracted to my boobs?!"

…

Lysithea, having just witnessed Hilda's humiliating ordeal, let out her own sigh of jealousy. She hadn't ended up padding her chest for the dance, so she looked down at herself and sighed at her lack of a noticeable bustline. Attempting to console herself, the white-haired girl chomped down on a sweet roll that had been part of her large plate of sweets.

"My, my, how embarrassing," said Linhardt as he walked over to Lysithea, who knew he was referring to Hilda's accident. "Didn't that happen before at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion?"

"Yes, it did," Lysithea said sourly. "Only that time Hilda knocked Caspar unconscious for it."

With a chuckle, Linhardt said, "A shame I missed that." Then, looking down at her plate, Linhardt asked, "Do you mind if I have that one?" He then pointed at a particular chocolate on her plate.

"Why not go get your own?"

"Because that'd take more effort."

"Well, boo-hoo, Linhardt. Sorry, but these are mine."

"You're awfully protective of something you could just get more of."

"Well, I like my sweets, okay?!"

"I have to wonder why it is you have such a sweet tooth. It could just be simple preference, but I can't help thinking it may have something to do with your–"

With a mortified hiss, Lysithea said, "Shut up! You can have one, okay?!"

"Gladly. Thank you, Lysithea."

Lysithea couldn't help but growl at Linhardt as he took a fancy chocolate from her plate.

"Blackmailing me for some chocolate?" Lysithea snarled. "You're worse than I thought, Linhardt."

"My apologies," said Linhardt. "But I'm rather fond of these ones."

…

Mercedes stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Annette stumbling toward her with tears in her eyes.

"Annie? What's wrong?" Mercedes asked as she stopped dancing with Ashe.

"I-It's Felix…" Annette said with a sniffle. "I finally got him to come with me to the ball, but he won't dance with me."

"I'd be more than willing to dance with you, Annette," said Ashe.

"T-Thanks Ashe, but I r-really want to dance with Felix… He's just so… he's such a jerk!"

As Annette looked like she was about to start bawling, Mercedes made an uncharacteristic frown upon seeing Felix brooding in a corner. Then, to the alarm of those around them, Mercedes stormed her way angrily toward the swordsman.

"Felix!" Mercedes said sternly as she reached him.

"What do you want, Mercedes?" Felix asked dismissively.

"Annie went to so much trouble to ask you out to the ball and now you won't dance with her?"

"I never agreed to making myself look like a fool in front of everyone. Besides, she can find someone else to dance with."

"Of all the… Felix Hugo Fraldarius, you are going to walk out there, take Annette's hand, and dance with her right now!"

Felix was surprised to hear Mercedes make such a demand. He turned and said tersely, "No."

Mercedes glared at him in tranquil fury as Annette and Ashe watched with concern. The blonde usually never got this mad, so they worried she might do something rash.

As Felix took a step to walk away from Mercedes, the blonde quickly reached up and grabbed Felix by his ear.

"AGH! M-Mercedes!" Felix yelped. "What are you doing?!"

Mercedes said nothing as she gave a smile that masked her ire. She then began leading Felix by the ear toward Annette as the swordsman protested.

Upon reaching Annette, the blonde said, "Here you go, Annie."

"M-Mercie…" Annette said in a mix of amazement and shock.

"L-Let go already, Mercedes!" Felix hissed.

"Will you agree to dance with Annette, Felix?" Mercedes asked sweetly as she pinched harder on his ear.

"A-AAH! A-Alright! Alright, I'll do it!"

"Thank you, Felix."

Mercedes released Felix's ear as he scowled loudly and rubbed it.

"Oh, thank you, Mercie!" Annette said jubilantly as she grabbed Felix by the arm and pulled him to the dance floor.

As the two started to dance, Ashe said to Mercedes, "Was she… faking those tears?"

"Now, now, Ashe," said Mercedes. "Best not to question that."

Ashe couldn't help but chuckle nervously as Mercedes giggled.

…

Drinking down another glass of champagne, Manuela groaned as she watched the students enjoy themselves. All around she could see boys and girls having a good time, and romance was everywhere she looked. It left her feeling miserable, knowing she was without anyone to share such a special evening with.

"Manuela, may I have the honor of this dance?" said Hanneman as he approached her.

In a slightly tipsy voice, Manuela said, "W-What? Oh, it's you, Hanneman. I must be already drunk, because I just thought I heard you asking me for a dance."

"You heard me correctly, Manuela. And I know you would not become so inebriated by a few glasses of champagne."

"W-Wait, what? You're really asking me for a dance?" As Hanneman nodded to this, Manuela's expression soured as she asked, "You're just doing it out of pity, aren't you?"

"You may see it that way. But as we are both professors here, does it not fall to us to set an example for the students, even in matters such as this?"

Manuela was silent for a moment, and then she made a hearty laugh at Hanneman. This left the Crest scholar with a perturbed look as the former diva stumbled to her feet.

"Is that it, Hanneman? Just so we can set an example for the kids?" Manuela then straightened her dress as she said, "Oh, what the hell. I doubt I'll get any better offers tonight anyway."

The senior songstress then reached out toward Hanneman with surprising grace despite being slightly drunk. Hanneman took her hand and, in a manner befitting a gentleman, led her to the dance floor to begin a slow waltz. Students all around them watched with interest as the two professors moved gracefully through the hall.

After about a minute of dancing with the grey-haired scholar, Manuela said, "Hey, you're actually pretty good at this."

"One of the requirements of my upbringing at House Essar," said Hanneman.

Manuela couldn't help but smile at this as she decided to increase their tempo a bit.

…

Shamir let out a groan as she carried a drunken Catherine back to her quarters. It was something the Dagdan woman had gotten used to, as much as it annoyed her. Catherine had challenged Jeralt to a drinking contest and, as Shamir had predicted, the Crusader had lost horribly to the Blade Breaker.

"I-I'm telling you, Shamir, P-Professor Eisner's got a big rack, for sure," Catherine stammered as Shamir rolled her eyes. "B-But Lady Rhea's so big, s-she's g-got knockers as big as your head!"

Catherine then made a wheezing laugh as Shamir opened the door to her room and led the Crusader in.

"B-B-But your… your boobs are, pfft, they're j-just right, Sh-Shamir~"

Shamir was about to make some derisive comment toward Catherine when the Crusader suddenly threw her weight onto the sniper. Surprised, Shamir's eyes went wide as saucers as Catherine pinned her to the floor.

"C-Catherine! What are you– H-Hey!" Shamir hissed.

Despite being drunk, Catherine was too strong for Shamir to throw off. Shamir then made a loud moan of surprise as Catherine pressed her face into Shamir's bosom and pulled at the sniper's bustier. Shamir's ample right breast came out of its confines, and Catherine was quick to engulf the Dagdan woman's nipple in her mouth.

"C-Catherine…! H-Hold on a s-sec– NNGH!"

Shamir bit her lip as Catherine's teeth clenched down on her nipple, sending spikes of pleasure through her. The Dagdan woman hated how sensitive her breasts were and hated even more that Catherine never wasted an opportunity to toy with them when they were alone. She let out a loud moan as Catherine's tongue slathered her chest with saliva.

The sniper blushed as she thought of how things had ended up like this. She had known Catherine for years, and it only took her a few weeks to learn the swordswoman was a lesbian. It made sense, given how much she revered Rhea. One evening had seen Catherine unleash her urges upon Shamir when they were out on a mission, something which had taken Shamir completely by surprise. But Catherine knew how to please a woman, and Shamir couldn't deny her own urges forever. The two weren't in a romantic relationship but more of one built on satisfying their own bodily needs.

"C-Catherine…" Shamir moaned as the swordswoman continued to caress her curvy body.

As Catherine moved up and planted a wet kiss on Shamir's lips, the sniper knew deep down the blonde was going to be at it for a while.

She just wished the Crusader could've had the patience to reach her bed first.

…

Anna and Jeralt sat together at the Ragged Flagon, a tavern in town, each with a tall flagon of beer before them. Even after his drinking contest with Catherine, the Blade Breaker was only just barely starting to look tipsy.

"I never get tired of seeing you able to take so much booze, Jeralt," Anna said cheekily.

"Really? You find it amusing?" asked Jeralt.

"Well, yeah. I don't think I've met anyone else out there who could handle more than you can. Heh, come to think of it, Leonie was saying she wanted to learn how to drink as much as you can."

"I hope you told her I wouldn't want her following that example."

"Yeah, I did. That girl really idolizes you, ya know?"

"It's funny, all I did was help out her village and teach her a few tricks on tactics. Not nearly as much as I did with Byleth. And yet Leonie still sees herself as my best apprentice."

"Not like you've had many, have you?"

"Nope."

The two were silent for a moment as others in the tavern continued their own chatter.

Then, Anna said in a more subdued tone, "Hey, Jeralt? How are you holding up?"

"I could easily go for another few pints."

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant about… about what happened with Aelfric… and Sitri."

"Oh." Jeralt paused for a moment and said, "I'll be alright."

"You sure? I mean, it's gotta be pretty hard seeing that happen to your wife, even if she's been gone for so long."

Now puzzled, Jeralt asked, "What's on your mind, Anna?"

"It's just, well…" Taking a deep breath, Anna continued, "Feel free to say 'no', but… have you thought about… moving on?"

"What?"

"I mean, you've been single for about twenty years now, and I…" Anna started blushing as she said, "I just thought maybe you might… Oh, gods, I am so screwing this up."

Realizing what Anna was getting at, Jeralt said, "Annabelle…"

"Hey, what've I said about using my full name in public?"

"Sorry." Jeralt took a long pause, and then said, "I appreciate the gesture, Anna, but I can't say I'm all that ready to move on yet. Seeing her again, it really hit home how much I miss her."

"I thought so. Well, I just wanted to tell you that if you're ever ready to move on, I'll be there for you, okay?"

"Thank you, Anna."

With a smile, Anna raised her flagon and said, "To Sitri, then."

In a toast, Jeralt replied, "To Sitri."

* * *

_Tell me, does this whole "Anna likes Jeralt" thing feel too forced? I won't deny that it sounds awkward, but given Anna's history in my story, it'd make sense that she'd seek companionship with Jeralt since he's also long-lived._

_Also, just so you are all clear, that sex scene with Catherine and Shamir is NOT what I'd classify as rape. Shamir was consenting to Catherine ravishing her. It's just that Catherine was a little brutish at the start. In my book, rape requires a total lack of consent. While you might see some of my previous groping scenes as that, it's a blurry line._

_The Goddess Tower is the next chapter, so I hope you're all ready for that._


	87. The Goddess Tower

_When reading this chapter, I recommend listening to the Distant Worlds rendition of FF4's "Theme of Love". You can find it easily on Youtube._

_Thank me later when you do._

* * *

**Chapter 87 – The Goddess Tower (Ethereal Moon)**

Byleth let out a loud sigh as she got herself outside the main hall. She had been dancing for a good two hours straight due to all the requests she had been getting, and she was quite frankly exhausted. She had only just managed to escape the festivities thanks to Balthus starting another fight, one that had been the result of one of several second-year students harassing Hapi. He hadn't beaten anyone up yet, but it looked like this time would be inevitable.

"Running away?" said Sothis as she briefly materialized before Byleth. "I understand. You hardly had the time to breathe in there. It must be hard to be the favorite teacher at the ball! Poor, poor you!"

"It… is difficult," Byleth whispered, thankful that there was too much noise for her to be heard talking to her spirit companion.

"So you do think you're the favorite! I might have known. No doubt Rhea's choice in your wardrobe had an effect on them too."

Byleth blushed again as she absentmindedly raised her right arm to cover her nearly exposed left breast.

"But where is there to run? This place is filled with joyful students looking for a dance."

Byleth had to ponder this for a moment. There weren't many places she'd be able to go where she wouldn't run into someone, even if most of the students were in the main hall. Several had already left and were no doubt roaming the monastery grounds.

A small gust of wind caressed Byleth's exposed skin, making her shiver briefly. While there was still snow in some places on the monastery grounds, the air wasn't below freezing, so Byleth wasn't likely to catch frostbite or hypothermia even while wearing so little.

Then, Byleth had an idea and looked up to a solitary tower just off the cathedral. The same place Rhea had gone during the Blue Sea Moon during the Goddess' Rite of Rebirth.

Something about that place was calling to her.

"Ah… I see," said Sothis. "The Goddess Tower waits for you…"

Sothis vanished from Byleth's sight as the teacher made her way toward the tower.

…

Dorothea paced around impatiently within the Goddess Tower. She had stepped out of the main hall about a half-hour ago and was now waiting for a special someone within the old tower. The level she waited on had a wide-open balcony that allowed one to see for miles in all directions, but also left one totally exposed. She was amazed one of the guards hadn't caught her yet. Maybe they weren't keeping an eye on the place, she thought.

The sound of footsteps coming up the tower caught her attention. Excitedly, Dorothea got to her position, as though preparing for a play.

A few seconds later, Dorothea smiled as her eyes met with Byleth's, who looked back at her in surprise.

"Professor, you showed up!" said Dorothea.

"Dorothea? What are you doing here?" asked Byleth. "Why are you so happy?"

"Well, because you're here, of course! You came here because of the letter I sent you, right?"

"What letter?" Byleth asked slowly.

The reply was not at all what Dorothea expected, taking the wind right out of her sails.

"The letter I put in your door," Dorothea said hesitantly. "Didn't you see it?"

"I didn't see any letter in my door today."

"Wait, are you saying this is… a coincidence?" Letting out a disheartened sigh, Dorothea continued, "How disappointing to think you didn't come here specifically to see me."

"I'm… sorry?"

"It's okay, Professor. It's not your fault. Still, if we're meeting by complete chance… that has a certain appeal too." Giggling, Dorothea said, "It's as if destiny brought us together! And on the night of the ball… Lucky me."

"Umm… okay…?"

"Originally, I wanted to see what you'd do when you read my letter. I just wanted to see if you'd come here like I asked. I had a feeling that you would. Though, I suppose you didn't even read the letter to begin with…" With another sigh, Dorothea said, "I should just be thankful I wasn't left here waiting. All alone. Forever…"

Byleth was about to say something when Dorothea flashed her a smile, letting the teacher realize the singer was joking. Byleth had to smile to response.

"Say, Professor, why are you here if you didn't see my letter?"

"I just had to get away from everyone for a bit."

"Oh, I get it. I saw you dancing with everyone almost non-stop. I know how exhausting that can be. Sometimes I'd be at parties in Enbarr where I'd be dancing all night long. That is, after I became an opera star, of course. And this place would be the perfect spot to get some alone time."

Byleth nodded at this as Dorothea strode out and looked at the night sky. Byleth walked up beside Dorothea to look out at the stars and the moon.

"It's beautiful tonight," said Dorothea.

"Yeah, it really is," said Byleth.

"Hey, Professor, it's been almost nine moons since you've come to the monastery. You must have found a special someone by now, haven't you, Professor?"

"I…"

"You have, haven't you?" Enthusiastically, Dorothea grabbed Byleth's hands and said, "Who is it? Is it someone from the Knights? I could tell you all about their–"

"What? N-No, Dorothea, I haven't!"

"You totally have! That look on your face says it all!"

"No, Dorothea! You're wrong!"

Byleth jerked her hands free of Dorothea's grasp and stepped away as the singer's vigor dropped in an instant.

"Professor?"

"I… I've never felt that way about anyone," said Byleth. "I've seen people in love before, but I… I'm not even sure what it's like to feel that way toward someone."

"You… don't know what it's like to… feel love?"

Byleth sighed and said in a tone of shame, "No. I mean, I love my father, but that's not the kind of… you know what I mean."

"So, you've never felt attracted to a man before like that?"

"No, I haven't."

Dorothea pondered this for a moment, but then she made a small grin as she asked, "Well, have you ever felt any kind of attraction to a woman?"

"H-Huh?!" Caught off guard by Dorothea's question, Byleth was left flustered. "W-W-What do you mean by that?"

"Professor, not all love is between the opposite sex, you know. I've known plenty of people who've fallen for their own gender."

"W-Wait, you think I'm–"

"There's nothing wrong with being gay, Professor."

"D-Dorothea! I–" Byleth was silent for a moment before she said, "I… I don't know, Dorothea. I don't know if that's what it is. I just… don't know how it really feels to love someone like that, man or woman."

"Oh… I just assumed you might be– Professor, I'm so sorry. That was so stupid of me."

The two were silent as they sat down on the floor of the Goddess Tower. Dorothea took the time to process the knowledge that Byleth was so confused about romance. It was pitiable but, given how Byleth had been raised and the circumstances of her birth, it made sense that Byleth would be clueless about love.

"Well, aren't we a pair, then?" said Dorothea. "You don't even know what it feels like to fall in love, while I'm trying so hard to find true love that I don't know if I'll ever find it. But, hey, if you ever do find someone you think you're in love with, come tell me, would you? I'd be more than happy to help you."

"You'd do that, Dorothea?" asked Byleth.

"Of course, Professor."

"Thank you."

It was then that the two heard the voices of the students coming from the main hall. The doors had been opened to allow some of the students out, but it was clear the festivities were still going strong.

"Well, I ought to get going," Dorothea said as she stood up. "I'm sure people will have noticed my absence by now, and I wouldn't want to keep them waiting. Professor, I hope you find your special someone someday."

Byleth looked to Dorothea with another smile.

"And, either way, I do hope you'll share a dance with me later."

Dorothea took only two steps toward the exit before stopping as Byleth said, "Wait."

"Professor?" Dorothea asked as she turned back toward Byleth.

"Why wait until later for a dance?"

Dorothea raised an eyebrow in confusion until Byleth stood up and raised a hand to the diva in an offer. The brunette's eyes widened slightly as she realized what Byleth meant.

"Oh… Ohh, Professor~" Dorothea said in magnanimous surprise. "How clever of you." Giggling at how Byleth was being so melodramatic, Dorothea answered, "I would be honored, Professor Byleth."

Dorothea took Byleth's hand and strode up close to her, and the two began to dance. At first, they started with a gentle waltz, much the same as what the others were doing in the main hall. But as they moved, the two found themselves with an unfamiliar energy. Byleth found herself increasing her pace, forcing the singer to keep up.

And then the dance began to change, no longer being a gentle waltz. Byleth stretched out her leg and leaned as she moved her right hand to Dorothea's hip. Dorothea followed through with a long-legged kneel, her right knee moving under Byleth's left thigh. Byleth would then stand and spin Dorothea around, the brunette masterfully matching her every step. Their dresses billowed and flowed as they moved in perfect rhythm, their shapely forms undulating in a passionate display of beauty.

Step, step, lean. Step, twirl, stride. Reverse, step, twist. Each move they made was familiar yet instinctive. The two were no longer consciously dancing but simply allowing their bodies to move, allowing rhythm and pure impulse to guide them through a sultry tango. Their minds, so caught up in movement, did not realize just how strong, how bold, nor how sensuous their dance had become compared to a simple waltz.

And then, as Byleth leaned forward with her left hand at the small of Dorothea's back, the singer leaned back as their ample chests touched, their faces mere inches from each other as they finished their dance.

They were still for several seconds, and only afterward did they realize just what they had been doing.

Dorothea was the first to gasp for breath as she said, "W-Wow, Professor. That was… umm…"

Catching her own breath, Byleth said, "That, uh…"

Both blushed as Dorothea said, "Who knew you were such a good dancer?"

"I… I didn't even know I…"

The sound of the main hall interrupted them again as they remained in their finishing position for a few seconds, and then Byleth pulled Dorothea back to her feet.

"We should get back to the others," Dorothea said as her cheeks retained a pink glow.

"Y-Yeah, we should."

Embarrassed at the dance they had just done, the two women made their way down the steps of the Goddess Tower, not knowing someone had been watching them.

…

A few minutes later, Byleth was the first to reach the bottom of the stairs of the Goddess Tower, which led immediately out of the structure. Dorothea was close behind her.

But as Dorothea reached the last few steps, Byleth turned and said, "Careful, that last step's–"

Her warning came a second too late. Dorothea's high-heeled shoe touched down on the icy surface and immediately she began to slip. The brunette let out a series of panicked cries and yelps as she toppled forward, and Byleth made a loud yelp of her own as Dorothea's body sent her crashing to the floor on her back.

A second later, the eyes on both women shot wide open as their faces began to turn bright red. Their gazes were mere inches from each other, letting them see deep into the other's eyes. Their bountiful chests pressed against one another, but only Dorothea's heart thumped loudly and fervently in hers. The sensation of their breath could be felt on the other's face. Dorothea's hair was draped over Byleth's head, creating a brown curtain of long luxurious locks that would've obscured the view of their faces from any prying eyes.

Their lips were on the verge of touching. Had they been any closer, the two would've met in a kiss.

They were petrified for a few seconds as they stared into each other's eyes.

Dorothea was the first to move, scrambling back until her back pressed against the inside of the Goddess Tower.

The singer stammered, "P-P-Professor Byleth, I…"

"I, umm…" Byleth couldn't find anything to say.

The two were stammering at each other for a good minute after Dorothea pushed herself off Byleth's body, letting the two kneel on the ground as they looked bashfully at each other.

"W-We'd better go…" Dorothea said sheepishly as she stood up.

Byleth could only nod as she and Dorothea made their way back toward the bridge to the cathedral.

As they passed the archway leading into the side of the cathedral, they failed to notice a certain white-haired princess who had slumped to the floor behind a pillar, clutching at her chest as tears of heartache began to fill her eyes.

…

Byleth and Dorothea were silent as they walked across the bridge of the cathedral, not making eye contact with each other nor with any students or soldiers that passed them. Dorothea knew well enough how to hide how flustered she felt, but Byleth was doing everything she could to avoid letting people see her bashful face.

The bluette didn't know just what she was feeling. On one hand, she was thankful the two hadn't actually kissed. Things would've become extremely awkward between them if they had. She was Dorothea's teacher, after all!

But on the other hand, being so close to Dorothea had left the bluette with an unfamiliar warmth in her chest. She had never felt such a thing before.

The two suddenly realized they were, for the moment, alone on the bridge. At that moment, Dorothea stopped where she was, prompting Byleth to turn to face her.

"Professor, I…"

Dorothea's words died in her throat as two suddenly heard a woman's voice singing.

_Toki no yosuga ni tomoru honō_

_Kamawo ni tayuta kioku no kake-ra_

Mystified by the words, the two looked up to see the one singing the words standing on a balcony above, at the top of the monastery's main structure.

It was Rhea.

The Archbishop repeated the verse.

_Toki no yosuga ni tomoru honō_

_Kamawo ni tayuta kioku no kake-ra_

Byleth and Dorothea were astonished by her voice.

"Rhea…?" Byleth said breathlessly.

"What is she singing?" murmured Dorothea. "I've never heard that song before…"

Then, in Byleth's mind, Sothis said, "That song… I feel I have heard it in the past… Actually… It is not that I have heard it. I… Did I once sing that song to someone? No. There's more. I wrote this song… Oh, but how could that be so? If that were true, then how could she be singing it? Unless…"

Rhea sung the verse again.

_Toki no yosuga ni tomoru honō_

_Kamawo ni tayuta kioku no kake-ra_

Byleth and Dorothea could only stand mesmerized at Rhea's song as the night continued.

* * *

_Ah yes, the Goddess Tower scene. This was a very tricky one to write._

_Firstly, it's very hard to write out how a tango would go in script. I am not a dancing expert, and I couldn't find any sources on how to write out dance steps, so if I've gotten it wrong, that's my reason why._

_Second is writing out how Byleth is totally unfamiliar with what it feels like to fall in love. Given how emotionally stunted she is, and how I've never experienced such a thing (I'm single and not looking), it's very tricky to write it out in a believable fashion. I was actually thinking of having that fall-on-top-of-her moment end in the two accidentally kissing, but I felt it was too early for that. However, they came awfully close, so close that I don't think Edelgard could tell the difference._

_Also, I apologize to anyone who thinks I screwed up the whole bit of Dorothea thinking Byleth is gay. Please don't freak out or try to flame/shame over it._

_Finally, yes, I know I just had Rhea singing in Japanese, but for the purposes of the story, Japanese will basically be the Nabatean language. You'll be seeing it again later in the story. I just wish Rhea's song had more lyrics; even in soundtracks of the game, that's all there is to her song. If one could supply me with more lyrics in Japanese, even made-up ones, I may add them in._

_Anyhow, this is going to be where the romance has really started, but it's still going to be a while before one of them is saying "I love you". After all, there's still the timeskip to worry about._


	88. The Cause of Sorrow, Part 1

_Welp, time for the big chapter battle. Be warned, it's a little gruesome._

* * *

**Chapter 88 – The Cause of Sorrow, Part 1 (Ethereal Moon)**

It was two days after the Ball when Dorothea woke with a start early in the morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon. A bell of alarm was ringing from the monastery.

The singer grumbled at the thought of having to perform a drill at such an hour. Dorothea was about to throw her blanket back over her head and try to get back to her beauty sleep when a loud knock came from her door.

"Dorothea? Dorothea? Are you there?" came Mercedes' frantic voice.

"M-Mercedes?" Dorothea groaned, loud enough for the healer to hear her.

"Dorothea, please get up! It's an emergency!"

"H-Hold your horses, Mercedes. It's just another drill."

"No, it's not a drill! The soldiers said there were Demonic Beasts coming out of the old chapel!"

Dorothea was left wide awake at hearing this, scrambling to her feet as she rushed to her closet to dress herself.

…

To the singer's dismay, it had not been a false alarm.

They were now near the same old chapel where Aelfric had deceived them, and surrounding the building were eight Demonic Beasts. Though still reptilian, they differed from the usual grey-scaled monsters that roamed the countryside, instead having leathery black hides segmented by cracks that made it look as though their whole bodies were covered in bile-soaked bandages. A set of sharp, fleshy protrusions formed a spine of blades along their backs, and it appeared as if their mouths had no teeth within them, instead having fleshy jagged gums in their place. It was difficult to discern whether they had eyes or not, but they could clearly see regardless. A strange red glowing stone was on each one's forehead.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The first-year students had heard that before the monsters had appeared, many of the second-year students were seen heading to the old chapel. The second-year students had been acting strangely as they went, and now there was no sign of them. Though the first-year students weren't on the best of terms with those from the second year, they still did not wish any harm upon them.

Jeralt was atop his steed as he rallied the Church soldiers, a mere 120 men against eight of the large monsters. They should've had at least twice that much for such a large number of Demonic Beasts, but it was all they were able to muster on such short notice.

Byleth worked quickly to divide both the students and soldiers into small squads. Dorothea was assigned to Byleth's own group alongside Edelgard, Felix and several men from the Church. Above them, Ingrid led Constance and Flayn atop their respective Pegasi, ready to swoop in and intervene if aid was needed. Anna, who had once again offered her assistance, led a group that included Ashe, Claude and Petra, meant to search the area for any survivors.

"How the hell did these things manage to get inside the monastery walls?" Jeralt mused aloud.

As Byleth continued to give orders to the first-year students and the men assigned to each group, one of the Demonic Beasts let out a fell roar as it charged toward their line.

"Here it comes!" one of the soldiers shouted fearfully.

"Hold your ground!" Jeralt shouted commandingly. "Steady, men!"

The Demonic Beast opened its mouth as flames licked from its mouth and sent a ball of fire at the soldiers' defensive line. The mages behind them worked quickly, conjuring a combined ward that blocked the attack, though just barely. Even before the flames subsided, the beast continued its charge, and a slash from its claws finished off the ward, shattering it like clay.

"Archers!" Jeralt shouted.

Shamir and her archers drew their bows and fired, pelting the Demonic Beast with arrows to its neck and shoulders. Though the arrows pierced its hide easily, the attack did not slow the monster as it made another swing of its claws, smashing three soldiers aside.

"Watch out! Watch out!" shouted another soldier as the men scattered to avoid being crushed.

Jeralt was about to give another order to his men when several blasts of magic from Byleth and Dorothea pelted the Demonic Beast. They were followed up by more spells from the other students, which burned and tore at the monster's hide. A Seraphim spell from Hapi delivered the killing blow, and the Demonic Beast screeched in agony before it collapsed to the ground.

The men began to cheer at the success, but this stopped when the remains of the Demonic Beast shriveled and crumbled away, revealing the body of a student.

Dorothea made a loud gasp of shock upon seeing the girl's face. It was Cistine, the same black-haired girl who had called Dorothea an 'Opera slut' a week prior. The girl's empty eyes were wide open and devoid of life. In the center of her forehead was a strange red stone, embedded messily into her skull.

"Oh no…" Dorothea said as she held her hands to her mouth in horror. Even if she had nothing but distaste for Cistine, the singer felt the girl hadn't deserved this.

"The Demonic Beasts are students…?" Jeralt said in disgust.

The students and soldiers did not even have a moment to process what they had just witnessed before a loud scream came from the chapel. They looked to see another second-year student was being held in the jaws of one of the Demonic Beasts by her legs. It was Ludmilla, and the brunette's panic was palpable as another Demonic Beast raised its jaws toward her.

"NO! NO, PLEASE! GODDESS NO! HELP ME! SOMEONE! PLEAAAAASE!"

Ludmilla's screams were cut short as the second Demonic Beast snapped its jaws down on the upper half of her body. Then, just as quickly as her cries had been silenced, the two beasts ripped the poor girl's body in two, and each began devouring their half of her remains.

"No!" Annette shouted in dismay.

"Ludmilla…!" Ferdinand said remorsefully.

Byleth winced loudly in regret at seeing such a thing happen, but she steeled herself as Sothis' voice rang through her mind.

"This is no time for remorse!" said Sothis. "You must act swiftly if you are to have any hope of saving those that remain!"

Tightening her grip on the Sword of the Creator, Byleth shouted, "Press forward! We have to get them to focus on us! Hurry!"

Byleth's cry steeled the resolve of the students, and they advanced toward the remaining seven Demonic Beasts.

…

Sylvain yelped as he and his horse narrowly avoided being swatted into a wall by a massive reptilian tail. Recovering, Sylvain shouted as he slashed the Lance of Ruin across the Demonic Beast's hide, tearing open a large gash. The Demonic Beast was clearly riled by this, for it whipped around and readied a breath attack that caught the redhead off guard.

He would've been incinerated seconds later had Hilda not charged in and slammed her axe into the side of the Demonic Beast's head, the Minor Crest of Goneril fueling her strike. The beast shrieked as its attack was sent off its mark, but the blast of fire still engulfed two Church soldiers, who screamed as they were burned to death.

"No!" Sylvain said painfully as he watched the men die.

The sight of such senseless death fueled Sylvain's anger, and he spurred his horse forward for another charge. The Lance of Ruin glowed bright red as the Demonic Beast swung its head, tossing Hilda aside as it exposed its vulnerable neck. Sylvain thrust the lance through the beast's throat, the Heroes' Relic piercing with barely any resistance. He quickly withdrew the Lance of Ruin as the monster let out a choking gurgle and slumped to the ground.

Seconds later, the beast's body disintegrated, revealing another female from the second-year students. Sylvain was dismayed at the sight of the orange-haired girl and her shattered glasses.

"Sylvain? Hey, are you okay?" asked Leonie as she rode up next to him.

"Leonie? Y-Yeah, I think I'll be alright…" Sylvain said, his tone very unconvincing to the Sauin huntress.

"Is she one of the girls you dated?"

"Yeah… Her name was Elliana. She was something of a bookworm. I said I thought her glasses made her look sexy and…"

Sylvain sighed as he cursed himself. He had spent a lot of time at Garreg Mach breaking girls' hearts, and now it truly made him feel like a villain. Most of the girls who had dated him were only interested in marrying into House Gautier and didn't care about him besides his Crest. And now he was talking about how he had flirted with her as though it were meant to be funny.

In truth, Sylvain was disgusted with himself at that moment. Even if Elliana had only spoke with him out of a desire to become a member of House Gautier, she didn't deserve this.

"Hey, Sylvain? Sylvain!"

Sylvain was finally snapped out of his remorse when Leonie bonked him on the head with her lance.

"Ow! Leonie!"

"There'll be time for regrets later! Come on, the others need us."

Realizing Leonie was right, Sylvain spurred his horse and followed Leonie to rejoin the fight.

…

Hubert made a loud hiss as one of the Demonic Beasts broke through a line of soldiers and nearly crushed him in its jaws. He quickly retaliated with a Banshee Θ spell, swarming the beast's head with dark magic and making it writhe as it tried to fend off the attack with its claws. As it thrashed around, Catherine dashed in and slashed through the beast's chest with Thunderbrand. The beast let out a painful shriek as it collapsed, its body reverting to the corpse of yet another second-year student. This one was a male, a burly lad from the Golden Deer named Damian. He wasn't big on brains but had been a good fighter.

"How unfortunate for you," Hubert said dismissively to Damian's body.

"Hey, a little more respect for the dead, would you, Hubert?" Catherine said crossly to him.

Hubert did not reply to this, prompting Catherine to move on to help the others.

As soon as Catherine had left, Hubert turned and said, "Linhardt, remove whatever that is in his forehead for me."

"Is there a reason why I must do it?" asked Linhardt.

"If it is what I suspect, then my lack of a Crest would present a risk if I were to touch it."

Linhardt seemed to put two-and-two together as he knelt down to inspect the strange red stone in Damian's head. After a moment's hesitation and a groan of disgust, Linhardt pried the stone from the dead boy's corpse.

The healer turned around to show the strange stone to Hubert, who scrutinized it carefully. The stone did not look like a natural object, but rather looked as though it had been fabricated through some unknown means. It bore a strange symbol across it, much like a Crest, but the design was warped compared to the Crests that were known in Fódlan.

"Now that I've, ugh, gotten a good look at it," said Linhardt, "it almost looks like… oh dear."

"A Crest Stone," said Hubert.

"Yes… though it's different from the ones you see in the Heroes' Relics."

"That would explain a great deal." Gesturing to Damian's body, Hubert said, "I believe he lacked a Crest, so it is likely this is what caused him to transform into a Demonic Beast."

"I agree. But then again, why would he do this? Why would he take a Crest Stone, real or not, if he knew it could turn him into a monster?"

"Perhaps he had no say in the matter."

Linhardt was left to ponder this point as Hubert turned away from him and looked at the old chapel.

The dark mage already had a good idea who was responsible for all of this.

…

Dimitri yelped as he was backhanded by one of the Demonic Beasts, sending him to the ground on his back. Before he could recover, the same beast rushed at him and swatted him again, and the blonde cried out in pain as he struck the trunk of a tree.

Now on his hands and knees, Dimitri coughed loudly as he spat up some blood.

"Your Highness!" Dedue shouted as he rushed to protect Dimitri, placing himself between the prince and the Demonic Beast.

Dedue blocked the beast's attempt to bite him with his shield and countered with a blow to the monster's lower jaw with his axe. The beast screeched painfully but did not stop its assault. It reared up and lunged its head forward with the speed of a viper.

"DEDUE!" Dimitri shouted as the beast engulfed the Duscuri man in its mouth.

Dedue grunted loudly as he pushed against the beast's jaws with every ounce of his strength. If he faltered for even an instant, the Demonic Beast would crush him.

The beast instead lifted him from the ground and, without bothering to try and crunch down on him, shook its head side to side before releasing its grip, throwing Dedue into a broken pillar. The pillar broke into thousands of pieces as Dedue smashed through it, leaving him on his side and unable to move.

"Y-Your Highness…" Dedue groaned as he tried to look in Dimitri's direction.

Dimitri growled loudly as he tried to fight through the pain in his limbs, watching grimly as the Demonic Beast swatted aside two more soldiers before readying its jaws to crush the life out of the prince.

"DIMITRI!"

Just before the Demonic Beast was about to crush him, a wall of ice formed between Dimitri and the monster's jaws. The beast's jaws clamped down on the block of ice, becoming stuck with it in its mouth. Dimitri looked to who had cast the spell and saw Marianne readying a healing spell.

A surge of warmth washed through Dimitri's body as Marianne's spell took effect, dulling the pain and healing his injuries. Spurred on by the healing spell, Dimitri leapt up and shouted as he threw his lance right into the monster's forehead, smashing through the red stone in its head. The impact of the lance was enough to shatter the ice in the Demonic Beast's mouth, and it let out an agonizing screech before it fell to the ground, dead.

As the monster's body reverted to that of a second-year boy from the Blue Lions, Dimitri remorsefully took back his lance as Marianne walked up to him.

"Are you okay, Dimitri?" asked Marianne.

"I am, thanks to you," Dimitri replied as he looked her in the eye.

Marianne couldn't help but blush at Dimitri as he smiled at her.

"I… I'm sorry," Marianne said bashfully.

"About what?"

"I ran away from you at the Ball. I shouldn't have done it, but I just…"

"Marianne…"

Dimitri and Marianne were silent as they stared at once another for a moment.

Then, hearing a familiar groan, Dimitri said, "Dedue!"

The two rushed over to tend to Dedue's wounds.

…

Dorothea readied another Thoron spell as Byleth slashed away at another Demonic Beast, trying to keep its attention. The diva unleashed her spell as Byleth lashed the beast's left arm, electrocuting the monster.

But to both Byleth's dismay and hers, all the attack did was draw attention to the diva.

Byleth immediately lashed again at the monster, but as it whirled around to face Dorothea, the Sword of the Creator missed its mark. Before Byleth could try for another attack, the Demonic Beast had raised one of its massive claws and swung at the diva, who frantically raised Joyeuse in a futile attempt to block the strike.

As Dorothea's scream filled the air and her blood stained the Demonic Beast's claws, time ground to a halt.

"Must you continue to allow that girl to suffer from your own ineptitude?" said Sothis.

Byleth mentally wanted to tell the green-haired girl to shut up as the Demonic Beast's claw reversed its strike. Byleth's lash returned to where she had been before the beast had spun around toward Dorothea.

Time resumed its flow, and so Byleth moved differently.

The Demonic Beast whirled around to face Dorothea, but instead of trying to attack it, Byleth rushed toward the diva to protect her.

"Look out!" Byleth shouted just before she got in front of Dorothea, whirling around to face the Demonic Beast's claw.

To her shock, the Demonic Beast was no longer trying to slash them, and instead had its mouth open, ready to unleash its fiery breath.

Byleth and Dorothea both tried to raise a ward to block the attack, only barely managing the start of one before the attack hit. The ball of fire exploded as it hit, and both Dorothea and Byleth screamed as they were sent flying back.

Dorothea could barely move, her body screaming in pain, but she was able to look up and see Byleth struggling to recover.

To her terror, the Demonic Beast's jaw loomed over the bluette, about to feast on Byleth's flesh.

* * *

_Well, that didn't go well._

_I'm guessing you guys were expecting me to kill off those named second-years. Just my way of making it hit a little harder. Apologies for any squeamish readers who weren't expecting me to be so gruesome._

_Also, am I making Sothis too much of a jerk here? I know she's a brat and all, but I might've been a little too harsh this time around._

_EDIT: Also, to address the point that Byleth shouldn't be having trouble against Demonic Beasts, I get that. I know she takes down two of them solo in the Byleth/Ferdinand C-Support, but I always felt that was a big outlier. Additionally, in my story, I want Demonic Beasts and big monsters to live up to their reputation, otherwise any fight with them feels cheap._

_The next chapter is one I'm sure some people are going to criticize for one reason or another, but I'll do my best to explain things when it happens._


	89. The Cause of Sorrow, Part 2

_I think you're gonna need some tissues for this one. I know I did. *sniff*_

* * *

**Chapter 89 – The Cause of Sorrow, Part 2 (Ethereal Moon)**

Edelgard froze up in the moment she saw one of the Demonic Beasts blast Byleth and Dorothea with its fiery breath, sending the two careening to the ground. The two barely had any time to recover before the beast rushed toward Byleth and prepared to crush the teacher in its toothless maw.

"PROFESSOR!" shouted Edelgard.

The Demonic Beast's attack was halted when a javelin pierced into the side of its head. The monster screeched loudly as it shook its head wildly before another javelin struck near the end of its snout.

"Get away from her!" shouted Jeralt as he readied another javelin.

This shout ended up getting the Demonic Beast's attention, for it whirled around and readied another blast of fiery breath to attack the Blade Breaker. Undeterred, Jeralt readied his third javelin and, after taking careful aim, threw it straight and true into the red gemstone on the beast's head, shattering the gem like glass.

The Demonic Beast shrieked as its head lurched back, releasing its fiery breath skyward and nearly hitting Constance, who let out a subdued gasp as she pulled out of the way. The monster immediately slumped over as its body began to crumble, leaving behind the body of another second-year student.

Edelgard let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Byleth and Dorothea were alright.

Dismounting from his horse, Jeralt knelt beside Byleth as he said, "You alright?"

"I… I'm fine," said Byleth as she got to her feet. "Thank you, father."

"Do you think you can keep going? Don't push yourself too hard."

Byleth's response was to tighten her grip on the Sword of the Creator, causing the blade to flare red with power.

"Don't count us out yet," Dorothea said as she got back up.

Jeralt couldn't help but give a smile to his daughter and her star pupil.

…

As Lysithea and Hapi blasted another Demonic Beast with their respective Seraphim spells, Anna had to slide under the beast's tail as it flailed about. Without missing a beat, the redhead continued her run toward the old chapel as the Demonic Beast fell to the ground behind her and withered away. Claude and Petra were quick to follow her, though Ashe had broken off and was now trying to help deal with one of the two that remained.

There was a large hole in the side of the chapel. As Anna reached it and looked inside, her expression darkened at what she saw.

Reaching the merchant, Claude asked, "Anna, is anybody still…?"

Claude's question trailed off as he and Petra looked inside at a scene of carnage. On the floor of the chapel were the bodies of the remaining second-year students, all in various states of dismemberment as their blood soaked the floor. Two of the bodies had been decapitated, one of the girls had been ripped in half vertically, and another boy's body had been mangled so badly it barely looked human.

The sight was enough that Petra fell to her knees as she said, "They are all… gone. Great spirits above…"

Claude knelt next to Petra as the princess of Brigid began sobbing at such a harrowing sight.

Meanwhile, Anna slowly walked into the chapel as the stench of blood engulfed her. Pushing aside her regret at being unable to save the second-year students, her eyes scanned the chapel for any clues as to who might've been responsible.

But as she stepped through the carnage, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she recognized the unconscious redhead who was slumped near the entrance to the chapel.

"Monica?" Anna said as she strode over to the unconscious third-year student.

"Wait, what?" Claude asked upon hearing Anna. "What's Monica doing here?"

Anna put a hand to Monica's blood-stained cheek as the girl stirred. Opening her eyes slowly, Monica looked up to see Anna gazing back at her.

"M-Miss Anna…?" moaned Monica.

"Are you alright?" asked Anna.

"I… what happened? I–" Monica gasped loudly as she saw the bloody scene within the chapel. "Oh no… Nononono…! The others! Oh, Goddess, no!"

As Monica began bawling loudly at the traumatic scene, Anna grabbed her shoulder and said, "Monica! Monica, listen to me! What happened here? What were you doing here?"

Fighting to speak through her tears, Monica whimpered, "I-I-I saw the second-years acting all funny, s-s-so I w-went to see what they were doing. W-W-When I got here, there was already one of those things in here and I… I j-just passed out…"

Anna scowled at hearing this. The girl hadn't witnessed whoever was responsible.

…

The remaining two Demonic Beasts had not taken much longer to bring down, but the battle had resulted in several casualties for the Church's soldiers. At least forty were wounded, with about thirty dead. The first-year students had all survived the battle, though several were injured. Ashe had gotten himself knocked out when one of the beasts smashed a wall that collapsed on him. Dedue had to receive multiple bandages for his own injuries, even after Marianne had tried healing him. Felix had gotten himself burned when he had shoved Annette out of the way of a fire blast, and the orange-haired mage was now trying to heal him with her own magic. Hilda had been swatted into a wall and dislocated her arm, which was now in a sling. Constance had been knocked off Syrene and fell onto a tree branch, cracking her collarbone. Finally, Catherine had taken a hit directly to her breastplate, a blow that had nearly caved it inwards and forced Shamir to remove it with her knife. The Crusader was now being assessed for any rib fractures.

As Byleth helped Dorothea with healing Ashe's injuries, she turned to see Anna, Claude and Petra escorting Monica away from the chapel. The merchant soon broke away to look back at the chapel as she raised a hand to her chin and pondered.

Byleth gave a gesture for Dorothea to continue helping Ashe as she got up and walked over to Anna.

"Did you find anything?" asked Byleth.

"Nada…" said Anna. "Not a trace of who could be behind this. But if I had to take a wild guess, I'd say we may be looking at the same people behind what happened in Remire."

"You mean Solon?"

"I can't be certain. But if you think about it, there's a definite connection."

Anna and Byleth then turned to watch as one of the Church soldiers inspected the body of a male second-year student from the Golden Deer.

"The students…" Byleth said in realization.

"Yeah. The third-year semester was all but wiped out at Remire, and now this happens."

Byleth turned to look back at the first-year students as concern overwhelmed her. If the enemy were targeting the students, the first-years would be next.

The notion of it filled the bluette with dread.

The two then heard Claude shout, "Wait, Monica!"

"Leave me alone!" Monica shrieked as she stumbled away from Claude with tear-filled eyes and staggered her way toward Jeralt, who stood in the middle of the battlefield.

Looking at the redheaded heir of the Ochs family, Anna's eyes suddenly widened with realization.

"Wait a second…" said the merchant. "Monica was with the others at Remire…"

"Anna?" asked Byleth.

"Monica said she came here because she was curious when she saw the second-years acting strangely. But after what happened to her at Remire, why would she…"

Now concerned, Byleth turned back toward Monica. The girl had stumbled her way up to Jeralt, whose back was turned to her as he shouted out orders to a pair of Knights. At the same moment, Dorothea, who had finished doing what she could for Ashe, turned to see Monica as well.

Monica suddenly stopped, lowering her arms with her hands pointed to the ground. Her sorrow was instantly replaced by a sinister grin as a strange dagger fell from inside her sleeve and into her right hand.

"JERALT!" Anna screamed, but it was too late.

Byleth's eyes widened in horror as Monica plunged her blade into her father's back, effortlessly piercing his chainmail.

Dorothea looked on in shock as Jeralt let out a painful groan when Monica twisted the knife, slicing into his internal organs.

"Well, well, well…" said Monica in a tone that was completely unlike the girl the others knew. "Dropped your guard for once, did you, Blade Breaker?" Monica ripped the dagger from Jeralt's back as he slumped onto his knees and then said, "Looks like you're just a sad old man after all."

Anna was just about to rush forward at Monica when Byleth, in utter disbelief at what had just happened, stopped the flow of time.

"Why that scheming, wretched, deceitful little…" Sothis said, so angry she could barely finish. "Teach that vile backstabber a lesson she will never forget!"

Jeralt was brought to his feet as Monica's dagger re-entered his back, resulting in her twisting it back through his body. It then exited his back again and returned to her sleeve as she stumbled away from Jeralt.

It was as far as Byleth could go. She hadn't fully recovered all of the Divine Pulse's power and could only manage to go back a few seconds. She couldn't spare a moment, or her father would die.

As time resumed its flow, Byleth spun around toward Monica as she approached Jeralt and Anna said, "Why would she…"

Anna, seeing Byleth whirling around, spun around as well to see Monica approaching Jeralt. The girl stopped behind him, her face contorting into a sadistic grin once more.

The Sword of the Creator left its scabbard as Dorothea saw Monica's dagger fall from her sleeve.

As Anna screamed "JERALT!" once more, Byleth lashed forward at Monica with the Sword of the Creator, intent on piercing the treacherous girl's heart.

In that very instant, a man dressed in black materialized a mere three meters from Monica, in between her and Byleth, and deflected the bluette's attack with a strange ward, the same kind that Solon had used.

As the Sword of the Creator bounced off the ward, Byleth could only watch in horror as Monica again plunged her blade into her father's back.

"Well, well, well…" said Monica once again. "Dropped your guard for once, didn't you, Blade Break… er…?"

The girl's words trailed off when she saw Thales standing next to her. Jeralt slumped forward as the dagger left his back.

"H-Huh?" Monica said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"YOU BITCH!" Anna screamed as she drew her Levin Sword and rushed at Monica and Thales.

Thales immediately responded by raising his right arm, which surged with dark magic, and letting out a shout as he slammed his palm to the ground. This released a massive shockwave of dark magic all around him, one that had no effect on Monica, but sent Anna flying back with a loud scream, as well as knocking away Byleth, Dorothea, and anybody else who had been within a thirty-meter radius of Thales.

As the dust settled, Thales slowly rose and said to Monica, "You must survive. Merely because there is a role that I require you to fulfill."

Thales then masterfully swept himself toward Monica and grabbed the girl with his left arm before turning to Byleth, who had quickly recovered from the shockwave and was now glaring at him and Monica. The others, whose heads rung from Thales' attack, struggled to look back at the dark magus.

Thales then smirked and said loudly, "The Flame Emperor sends his regards."

Then, with a flash of dark power, Thales and Monica vanished as they were warped away.

In that instant, snow began to fall as clouds filled the sky, seemingly out of nowhere.

As Dorothea tried to stand back up, she suddenly heard Byleth shout "FATHER!" in a tone of absolute fright.

Byleth had dropped the Sword of the Creator and now rushed frantically to Jeralt's side.

"Jeralt!" Anna shouted as she too ran over to the Blade Breaker.

"Captain Jeralt!" Leonie cried out in fear as she followed suit.

Dorothea immediately ran over to try and help Byleth as the bluette cradled her father in her arms. She wasted no time in trying to heal Jeralt's wound, but it barely took a second before she realized there was nothing she could do. The dagger had cut through his chainmail like paper and pierced one of his lungs, and Monica had also carved her way through several other of Jeralt's vital organs.

Dorothea looked over at Byleth and saw, to her dismay, that the teacher's expression was one of pure despair. She knew the wound was fatal.

Coughing up blood, Jeralt looked up weakly at Byleth and said, "S-Sorry… It looks like… I'm going to have to leave you now."

"Father! Father, no!" Byleth said in near panic.

"You can't die, Captain Jeralt!" Leonie said as she began bursting into tears.

"Leonie… Sorry I couldn't… teach you more…" wheezed Jeralt.

He then turned his gaze slowly toward Anna, who held his left hand with a look of absolute sorrow.

"Anna…"

"Jeralt, I… I'm sorry…" Anna sobbed. "I w-wanted to… to…"

"It's alright, Anna… I'm–" Jeralt coughed loudly before continuing. "I'm glad y-you were willing to… wait on an old dog like me… Please… look after my girl, would you…?"

"Y-Yes… of course I will…"

Anna couldn't hold back her tears as she brought Jeralt's hand to her face.

But then Jeralt felt another set of tears fall upon his face, and he looked to see they were falling from the blue eyes of his daughter.

"Father, please…" begged Byleth as she desperately tried to reach for the Divine Pulse again, but the power would not answer her.

Jeralt could only smile as he said, "To think that the first time I saw you cry… your tears would be for me. It's sad, and yet… I'm happy for it."

"Father, no! Please, you can't! Please! Father…!"

"Thank you… By… leth…"

Jeralt then closed his eyes for the last time as his final breath left him.

"Father…?" Byleth said in silent disbelief.

Jeralt made no response.

"Father…?!"

Byleth shook Jeralt's body desperately as the others watched with sorrow.

"Father! Father! Wake up! FATHER!"

Byleth again shook Jeralt, but again he did not stir.

"Father…"

Dorothea looked at Byleth as the teacher came to fully realize that Jeralt was dead.

"No… no… nonononono… Father…"

The bluette's body shook for a moment as her eyes filled with despair and sorrow.

And then she lowered her head to her Jeralt's body, her face buried in his chest, as she cried, wailed, and screamed for the loss of her father.

All around them, soldiers, knights and students felt their hearts consumed by loss as they watched Byleth cry out with grief. Her voice, a scream of unbearable sorrow, filled the air and drowned out the sound of the snow as it fell.

And as she knelt next to her teacher, Dorothea could not help but cry as well as Byleth wept for Jeralt Reus Eisner.

* * *

_This hit right in the feels, didn't it?_

_I know some people will be ticked off that I stuck with the game canon regarding Jeralt's fate, but I feel Jeralt's death is too important for me to retcon. His death, like in the game, serves as a catalyst for Byleth's development as a character. It leads to her learning to feel sorrow, something she needs to know no matter how much it hurts. Additionally, for the purposes of my story, Jeralt's death was also needed as a factor in Anna's character development. Anna's still got a big role to play in all this, and forcing her to experience such terrible loss is meant to help cement her role in what is to come._

_I know you guys may feel like I should've let Jeralt live, but that'd be like retconning Aerith's death from Final Fantasy 7 or Isara's death from Valkyria Chronicles. Having Jeralt survive would've cheapened a lot of character development for Byleth. Losing her father like this is something that helps forge her into the leader she needs to be, no matter how twisted a logic that may sound. And it also teaches her that she cannot rely on the Divine Pulse like it's some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card; it can fail her. As such, she's gotta be more careful, more aware, and so forth._

_Now, on a different note, there's one other thing I wanted to touch on: Thales and the Agarthans. One thing I disliked about the Agarthans was that they did not feel legitimately threatening, and outside of their tactical nukes they were an annoyance at best. In my story, I want them to be more of a legitimate threat, both via their schemes and in battle, and not just have them be full of themselves. I already did this with Solon being a necromancer, and now I did it again with Thales using that dark nova (which is far from the limits of his capabilities). Of course, Kronya's also going to get her chance to show off how deadly she is, but you'll have to wait a bit before we get to that._

_I've been playing Trials of Mana on PC for a bit now, and all three villainous factions are deadly enough that they can take out both of their rivals if given the chance. That's pretty scary, given your heroes are against all three. I wanted the Agarthans to be similarly threatening, in that the Adrestian Empire could take them out if given the chance, but the Agarthans could take out the Empire too. This would make them much more lethal, and give good reason for why Edelgard chooses cooperation with them rather than making them her enemy outright._

_The next few chapters are going to be tough for me to write, but your reviews will help me do the best I can._


	90. Mourning (Guardian Moon)

_A previous song is being reused here, but there's also a new one I've added. See if you can figure out where it's from._

* * *

**Chapter 90 – Mourning (Guardian Moon)**

The fifth day of the Guardian Moon was unnaturally cold, even for Garreg Mach. Out in the cemetery, which now had several more gravestones lined up with the names of the second-year students engraved on them, it felt as though the cold went all the way to one's soul.

Though some were gathered in front of the graves of the students lost to the prior month's tragedy, most were gathered before a shared grave, one that had been given a new gravestone.

_Jeralt Reus Eisner_

_Sitri Eisner_

_Resting in the warm embrace of cherished memories._

As Edelgard turned away from the grave, she looked back to Archbishop Rhea as she spoke to those in attendance. The Archbishop, despite still being clothed in her usual robes, did not look the least bit affected by the cold. Still, even she could not hide her sorrow.

"Jeralt Reus Eisner was a paragon of bravery to us all," said Rhea as she continued her speech. "A valiant warrior, and… a friend of many years. I will miss him dearly. Yet we must not allow ourselves to fall to grief, even in such times. I know that he would want us to cherish our memories of him, and that he would want us to…"

Edelgard stopped listening to Rhea at this point and turned her gaze from the Archbishop. To the princess, much of what was coming from Rhea's mouth sounded half-hearted, as though Jeralt's death had not shaken her as much as she claimed. The princess then looked around at the others who had gathered, dressed in dark robes of mourning. Leonie had buried herself in Raphael's shoulder as she cried for her mentor. Annette was being consoled by Mercedes, while Caspar was clenching his fists so tightly that Edelgard thought he was going to draw his own blood. Surprisingly, Bernadetta had chosen to attend, though she was trying not to make her presence known as she hid next to Linhardt.

But there was one person missing, someone Edelgard had expected to be here.

Byleth was nowhere to be seen.

Edelgard knew she should've expected as such, but to miss her own father's funeral told of Byleth's pain. Ever since she had returned to the monastery, Byleth had shut herself away in her room and refused to come out. This had been going on for nearly a week by this point. The bluette only ever opened her door to receive meals and refused to converse with anyone. It was almost like Bernadetta's lifestyle, but far less healthy and far more pitiable. Whenever one would pass by her room, they could hear her sobbing.

Anna had also not shown up for the funeral, and over the past week she had not even opened her shop for business. Many had begun to worry for the merchant as well as Byleth. They knew she had been a good friend of Jeralt's, but Edelgard wondered if that was all the two had been.

The first-year class had suffered as a result of Byleth's absence. Manuela and Hanneman had taken over Byleth's teaching duties to allow her to mourn, but the difference in their teaching ability was monumental. They could never hope to substitute for their Professor.

As Edelgard shut her eyes and silently cursed Monica for her treachery, Rhea said, "Miss Arnault, if you please."

Edelgard looked over to Dorothea as the girl walked forward, dressed in a ceremonial black robe. To Edelgard's grief, the singer had been chosen to sing the Hymn of The Sending, a funeral dirge meant to spirit the departed to the warm embrace of the Goddess. But to anyone who heard the words, it only imparted one thing: sorrow.

Dorothea took a deep breath of the cold winter air, and then she began to sing.

_Ki Ei Yu Ri_

_No Vo Me No_

_Re En Mi Ri_

_Yo Ju Yo Ro_

Each word the diva sang looked as though it had sent an icy dagger into the heart of everyone who heard it. The tears of those in attendance ran like rivers down their faces, threatening to freeze upon their cheeks.

_Ki Ei Yu Ri_

_No Vo Me No_

_Re En Mi Ri_

_Yo Ju Yo Ro_

Edelgard looked around at the others. Bernadetta was now almost bawling, but she was doing her best to stay quiet. Marianne held her hands in prayer as Hilda had her hands on her best friend's shoulders, the pinkette sobbing into the pale girl's shoulder. A dismal Constance was leaning against Ferdinand for comfort, while Ingrid was looking at the ground as Sylvain placed a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. Edelgard recalled hearing how Ingrid had lost her fiancé during the Tragedy of Duscur, so this whole affair had to be familiar for the blonde.

_Ha Sa Te Ka Na Ei_

_Ku Ta Ma Ei_

_Ha Sa Te Ka Na Ei_

_Ku Ta Ma Ei_

Edelgard looked back at Dorothea, and finally the princess could not hold back her own tears.

Dorothea's green eyes had been streaming tears down her face from the moment she had started singing.

_Ki Ei Yu Ri_

_No Vo Me No_

_Re En Mi Ri_

_Yo Ju Yo Ro_

As the song went on, Edelgard kept her gaze on Dorothea for the remainder of the funeral.

…

Byleth let out another sob of grief and frustration as she tried to tune out Sothis' voice in her head.

"You still weep for him?" asked Sothis, though not in asking a question. "If turning back the hands of time was not enough to save his life, you must accept what came to pass was fate."

"S-Shut up!" Byleth hissed. "It wasn't fate! It wasn't–"

"Control yourself. Though Jeralt's death was at the hands of wicked ones, a fate is still a fate."

"I won't accept that…! I won't! Father, he… he didn't deserve to die like that…! I had your power and it still didn't save him!"

Now offended, Sothis said, "Do you intend to blame me for his fate?"

"SHUT UP! Stop using that word, you damn ghost!"

Gasping as Byleth's words, Sothis said irritably, "Y-You spoiled rotten child! I will not have you speaking to me in such a way!"

Just then, a loud knock was heard at the door, followed by a familiar voice asking, "Professor? Are you there?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Byleth shouted, both at Sothis and at Dorothea.

Outside the room, Dorothea jolted back in shock at hearing Byleth shout at her.

"Just leave me alone…" Byleth whimpered, loud enough that Dorothea could still hear her.

"Hmph! Fine then, you'll not hear another peep from me, you ungrateful nincompoop!" Sothis snapped. "But I'll be expecting a thorough apology whenever you're done bawling like an infant!" The green-haired girl then vanished from sight.

Walking back up to the door, Dorothea said, "Professor… I know you don't want to speak to anyone, but I… I just want to know if you're going to be okay. You haven't come out in a week. We're all worried about you… I'm worried about you."

Byleth did not respond to this, continuing to bury her face in her pillow and wanting the diva to go away.

"I'm worried you might… might have lost the will to carry on, Professor. I may not know how that feels, but I… I've seen it before. I've seen people who just give up on living and it… it hurts to see people like that."

"…What do you want?" Byleth murmured spitefully.

Hearing Byleth's tone was hurtful for Dorothea, but she steeled herself and said, "I want you to come out of there, Professor. I want you to let me help you."

"No… No, I…"

"Professor–"

"I said NO! Leave me alone!"

"Byle–"

"You don't know what it's like! You don't know how it feels to lose your only family to a murderer! You don't know how it feels knowing you could've–"

Byleth stopped at this point, though not out of fear of revealing the power of the Divine Pulse. She simply couldn't find the words she was looking for.

Outside, Dorothea was almost on the verge of crying. Byleth had never been this cruel to her before. Even if she was stricken with grief, this wasn't like her.

"Please, Dorothea… just leave me alone…"

At hearing this, Dorothea mustered her courage as she said, "No. No, I'm not leaving! Not when you need someone to help you! Byleth, you have to let me in!"

Dorothea then tried to push open the door. Unsurprisingly, she found it was locked.

"I SAID LEAVE!"

"No, Byleth! I'm not leaving!"

"I'm not letting you in!"

"Then I'll just wait out here!" Calming down, Dorothea stepped back and said, "I'll wait until you're ready to come out!"

Byleth said nothing to this, continuing to sob to herself as her mind flooded with images of her father. She remembered the first time he had introduced her to a group of kids in a village, trying to encourage her to play with them. She hadn't done so, the others finding her too strange. She remembered Jeralt teaching her how to catch fish in a stream and being impressed when she had caught a huge Queen Loach on her first try. She saw herself learning swordplay from him when she was only six years old, and then remembered him watching over her when she had killed her first bandit at age nine.

More and more memories of Jeralt raising her filled Byleth's mind, fueling her sorrow as she saw Monica twisting her knife in his back. The girl had been looking at her, smirking all the while as she killed her father.

Then, as Byleth was about to descend into another tirade of tears, she heard Dorothea singing.

_Tue lei ze croa riou tue ze_

_Croa riou ze tue riou lei neu riou ze_

_Va lei ze tue neu tue riou tue croa_

_Riou lei croa riou ze lei va ze lei_

_Va neu va lei va neu va ze lei_

_Croa riou croa neu tue lei croa riou ze lei va_

_Lei va neu croa tue lei lei_

Byleth immediately recognized the song. It was the same one Dorothea had sung for the survivors of Remire. And though it was made to soothe wounded hearts, Byleth's still heart found little solace from the diva's voice.

Dorothea sang the verse again.

_Tue lei ze croa riou tue ze_

_Croa riou ze tue riou lei neu riou ze_

_Va lei ze tue neu tue riou tue croa_

_Riou lei croa riou ze lei va ze lei_

_Va neu va lei va neu va ze lei_

_Croa riou croa neu tue lei croa riou ze lei va_

_Lei va neu croa tue lei lei_

Byleth continued to cry as Dorothea continued to sing. Minutes went by, each seeming like an eternity as Byleth shed her tears.

_Tue lei ze croa riou tue ze_

_Croa riou ze tue riou lei neu riou ze_

_Va lei ze tue neu tue riou tue croa_

_Riou lei croa riou ze lei va ze lei_

_Va neu va lei va neu va ze lei_

_Croa riou croa neu tue lei croa riou ze lei va_

_Lei va neu croa tue lei lei_

Outside Byleth's room, Dorothea took in another breath as she prepared to sing again. The icy cold air stung in her lungs, but she wasn't going to give up. Byleth had saved her from so many perils in the months they had known each other.

Now it was her turn to save her from herself.

_Tue lei ze croa riou tue ze_

_Croa riou ze tue riou lei neu riou ze_

_Va lei ze tue neu tue riou tue croa_

_Riou lei croa riou ze lei va ze lei_

_Va neu va lei va neu va ze lei_

_Croa riou croa neu tue lei croa riou ze lei va_

_Lei va neu croa tue lei lei_

From afar, Edelgard looked out from behind a corner as Dorothea kept singing at Byleth's door. Hearing the words once again brought the terrible clutch of guilt to the princess' heart, and she forced herself to leave the area as Dorothea's voice echoed across the academy grounds.

…

A half-hour passed before Dorothea stopped singing. After another fifteen minutes, Byleth finally found she had no more tears to shed.

She remained still for another fifteen minutes before Sothis' voice finally returned in her mind.

"Have you had your fill now?" the ghostly girl asked.

To Byleth's surprise, Sothis' tone wasn't one of anger, but was compassionate and understanding of the bluette's grief.

"Try as I may, I cannot deny my concern for you, my friend. Our lives may be entwined, but I would be lying if I said I was not worried for your wellbeing. But as I have told you before, you can only shed tears for so long before you run dry."

Byleth remained silent, her prior anger at the ghost now replaced by apathy.

"Whether or not your father's death was the work of fate, his death was at the hands of a wicked one. That girl, Monica, must be made to pay."

The mention of Monica got Byleth's attention. The bluette's eyes narrowed with anger at the memory of her.

Sothis then changed her tone as she said, "Now, unless you wish to allow her to remain unpunished, I suggest you cease your senseless wallowing and do something useful. Perhaps a word with that singing girl? She seemed dearly concerned for your health."

Byleth let out a sniffle as she wiped her face on the back of her sleeve. Sothis was right. She owed Dorothea an apology for her behavior.

As the bluette stood up, Sothis then said, "You may wish to dress warmly. It is quite cold out."

Byleth ignored this advice, too caught up in her thoughts on how she would apologize to Dorothea as she worked the lock on her door.

As she opened it, allowing the freezing winter air into her room, her blue eyes went wide with shock.

Dorothea was still there, leaning against a support beam in front of Byleth's door.

"Dorothea?" Byleth said in surprise.

The singer was slow to react to her voice but turned to look at her. Upon seeing her face, Byleth's eyes went even wider. Dorothea's face was quite pale, and her normally rosy lips were starting to turn a faint blue. Frost had built up on her face and clothes, which weren't nearly thick enough to repel the cold.

"Dorothea! What are you…?"

Weakly, Dorothea said, "I… I s-s-said I'd w-wait f-for you to c-c-come out… I…"

Dorothea took in a shallow breath, only to start coughing a second later. Byleth immediately brought a hand to the diva's face, and found her skin was icy to the touch. The bluette realized the singer hadn't moved from her door for a whole hour, even in such frigid conditions, and Byleth didn't know how long Dorothea had been outside before then.

"Dorothea… Dorothea!"

At that moment, Dorothea fell into Byleth's arms. Frantically, she pulled the girl into her room and moved her onto the bed. She quickly began stripping the girl of her wet clothes, which were all but frozen, with the diva in no condition to protest. Byleth then covered her with every blanket she had. As she did, the girl began coughing again, shivering as her body remained chilled to the bone.

Byleth looked at Dorothea as guilt began to overwhelm her. This was her fault. She had tried to push Dorothea away and now the singer's life could be in danger. The teacher tried to use a healing spell on the girl, but the magic had no effect.

"Dorothea…!" Byleth whispered fearfully. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry…! I should've let you in! I…"

Dorothea looked as though she wanted to say something reassuring to Byleth, but she was too cold to do so. Instead, the brunette gave her a small smile to show she bore no ill-will.

"Hang on, I'll get Manuela! Just stay here and try to stay warm!"

With that, Byleth frantically ran out into the freezing cold, ignoring Sothis' rant about putting on a warm coat first.

* * *

_Aww, Dorothea went and got herself sick for Byleth's sake. Doesn't that just tear at the heart for you?_

_Writing out Byleth trying to push away those who care about her isn't easy since she's always about "let's work together" and the like. Having her do the opposite, even when she's clearly not herself, is a challenge, and I hope I did it right._

_Before you ask "Why did Byleth strip her?", that's actually proper medical procedure for someone with hypothermia. You gotta get those cold clothes off, especially if they're wet._

_The next chapter is going to be another Byleth/Dorothea one, so stay tuned._


	91. Good Medicine, Bad History

_Time for some Byleth/Dorothea fluff coupled with some dark plots._

* * *

**Chapter 91 – Good Medicine, Bad History (Guardian Moon)**

Dorothea hated being sick. She should've known staying outside Byleth's room for so long on the coldest day of the year would get her sick. But she had done it anyway, and now her aching body, sore throat, and coughing spasms attested to her illness.

Fortunately, Manuela had been quick to treat her. The diva would have to stay cooped up in her room for at least a week to recover. Dorothea knew better than to argue with Manuela when it came to matters of health. It wasn't as if she wanted to argue it anyway.

The others had come by to wish her a speedy recovery. Even Felix had awkwardly asked her to get well soon so he could continue training her in swordplay. And as they had come by to give her their well-wishes, they had also taken the time to offer their condolences and support to Byleth, who had been all too happy to accept their kindness.

Dorothea had to smile at this thought. At least something good came out of her foolishness.

There was a gentle knock on her door as a familiar voice said, "Dorothea, can I come in?"

Sniffling, Dorothea said, "C-Come in." Her sore throat left her coughing afterward.

The door opened slowly as Byleth came into the room carrying a tea set and a bottle of medicine on a tray. The teacher looked far better than when Dorothea had seen her on that freezing day.

"How are you feeling?" asked Byleth.

"S-Still pretty–" Dorothea coughed again and then said, "P-Pretty lousy… Ooh…"

Nodding to the brunette, Byleth brought her tray and set it down on a small table next to Dorothea's bed. The teacher had been coming to her every day since she got sick, bringing warm food, medicine, and other things to comfort the sickly singer.

"Y-You don't have to do all t-this, Prof-fessor…"

"It's my fault you got sick, Dorothea. This is the least I can do."

"W-Well that's… that's sweet of you, Professor. Th-Thank you."

"Here, time for your medicine."

Dorothea's expression filled with disgust as Byleth began to pour a small flask of goopy red liquid into a spoon. The teacher then brought the spoon to Dorothea's mouth and, after a bit of hesitation, the singer sipped the liquid. She immediately wanted to wretch, as the medicine tasted worse than the dirt one would've found on a noble's boots.

The singer was about to spit out the medicine when Byleth, seeing her reaction, put a hand gently to Dorothea's chin and said, "Just swallow it. Come on, it'll help."

Dorothea managed to swallow the horrible concoction after a few seconds. She knew she would never get used to the taste.

"Well?" Byleth asked with concern.

"G-Gross…"

"I'm sorry, but you know what Manuela said."

"Y-Yeah, I know, but… blugh, did she have to make something that tastes so bad?"

"They say good medicine tastes bad."

Dorothea chose not to respond to that as she coughed again, this time from disgust.

"Here, I brought some chamomile," said Byleth as she readied the tea.

The singer waited for a few minutes as Byleth warmed up the small teapot and placed the small tea leaves inside. Soon the aroma was wafting into Dorothea's stuffy nostrils, helping to clear her nose a bit.

"Th-That… that smells good…" Dorothea groaned.

"It's almost ready," said Byleth. The two were then silent for a moment before Byleth took a deep breath. She then asked, "Dorothea, I have to ask. Why did you do that for me?"

"I was worried about you, Professor."

"But you didn't have to endanger your health. Why did you do something like that?"

Dorothea hesitated to answer for a moment, and then she said, "Because… because I've seen what the pain of loss can do to good people. And I… I didn't want you to end up like… like…"

"Dorothea?"

Dorothea made another cough, attempting to clear her throat. She then said, "It's a story from my early days at the Opera. There was once a diva there I knew named Rosa. She was smart, gorgeous, an incredible singer. But most of all, she loved each of us in the Opera company, and was always willing to lend us a hand. She was in love with the son of Duke Temper, Osric, and he loved her back. When I was thirteen, they ended up getting married, and Rosa even bore Osric a child. But then…"

Dorothea's eyes began to water with tears. Byleth knew something tragic must have happened.

"Please, go on," said Byleth.

Sniffling, Dorothea said, "Duke Temper had been one of Emperor Ionius IX's supporters during the Insurrection of the Seven. Shortly after Rosa's child was born, the Temper estate was attacked by men working for Duke Aegir."

"Ferdinand's father?"

"Y-Yes. Duke Temper and his entire family were slaughtered, including Osric, and their estate was burned to the ground. Rosa lost her child to that fire. In a single night, she'd lost everything. A few days later, she came back to us, a shadow of the woman I'd once idolized. We wanted to help her, but she pushed us away and locked herself in her old room."

Dorothea's tears now began to flow as Byleth knew she was getting to the worst part.

"And then… a week after she came back to us… I went in to talk to her. And… she was dead. She hanged herself…!"

Dorothea now burst into sobs as Byleth knelt over and put her hand on Dorothea's shoulder.

"Dorothea, I… I'm so sorry," said Byleth.

"Y-You know what the worst thing is? I feel like… like it was my fault that she… that she killed herself. I was busy preparing for a play at the time. It was to be my debut as the leading actress in a play on The Saga of the Gray Fox. But I… I should have been there for her. The others had told me not to worry about her, but if I hadn't been so focused on that damn play, maybe she'd… she'd still be here today."

As Dorothea sniffled, Byleth was stunned silent at her story. It was now clear to the teacher why Dorothea had gotten herself ill for the bluette's sake.

"It really hurts, you know. Seeing you look like you think you have nothing to live for. But I… we need you, Professor. Me, Edie, and the others at the Officers' Academy. And I don't want you to end up like Rosa did."

Dorothea found herself coughing again. The sight of her in such horrible condition left Byleth almost overwhelmed with guilt.

"…I'm sorry…" said Byleth. "I am so sorry, Dorothea."

"P-Professor…?"

Dorothea looked to see Byleth was now looking down at her hands in shame.

"I was thinking only about my own pain when you came to help me. I was so… selfish, and you got hurt because of me. Because I didn't want to let you in. And I'm so… I'm so sorry…! You shouldn't have had to hurt yourself for me…! I'm responsible for you as your teacher, and yet I…"

Now Byleth was crying, though not nearly as much as when she'd cried for Jeralt. She buried her face in her hands as she began sobbing with shame.

"Professor, it's okay," said Dorothea. "I mean, you've hurt yourself so often for my sake, it was the least I could do for yours. I'm just glad you're back to your old self."

Byleth make a loud sniffle as she wiped away her tears and looked up at Dorothea's smile. The bluette smiled back.

The moment between the two was interrupted as they heard the teapot rattling.

"Oh, the tea's ready," said Byleth as she retrieved the teapot and, after testing its temperature, poured Dorothea a cup of chamomile tea.

Byleth then handed the tea to Dorothea, who warmly smiled as she held it delicately and gave the beverage a small sip.

"It's… a little hot," said Dorothea.

"Take your time with it," said Byleth.

The singer blew on it gently before taking another sip, while Byleth watched with a smile.

…

Anna was crouched behind a set of bushes near the outskirts of the monastery. The figures she was watching were ones she couldn't afford to be caught by. But at the same time, she couldn't allow such an opportunity to pass her by.

The soft crunching of frost behind her caught her attention. She silently whipped around, bringing her hand to her silver dagger.

It was Dimitri. The blonde prince was doing his best to stay silent, but he realized he wasn't nearly quiet enough if Anna caught him.

Anna made a silent "Shh…" gesture as Dimitri slowly moved up beside her. The prince peered through the bushes to see who Anna was spying on.

His eyes went wide at the sight of Monica, Thales, the Flame Emperor, and the Death Knight.

"I must offer my thanks again," Monica said to Thales. "You really saved me back there!"

"If you were to die, then the mystery of our bodies would be revealed," said Thales. "Preventing that was my only aim. I'm afraid you must remain, Kronya. There is something I need you to do."

"Oh, of course. I am always happy to cooperate with Solon. Just leave it to me."

"You offend me with your very presence, worm," the Death Knight said to Monica as he took a threatening step forward.

"Wow, what's up with you? Do I anger you somehow, Mister Death Knight?" Monica's tone was clearly meant to mock the black-armored knight.

"The Blade Breaker's life was mine to claim. I should kill you here and now for denying me the opportunity to face him again in battle."

"Aww, you sound all grumpy." Then, in a tone of absolute venom, Monica said, "Maybe I should kill you too so you can fight him in the afterlife."

The Death Knight looked like he was about to attack when the Flame Emperor raised his hand and said, "Enough!" Then, looking at Monica, he said, "You were never given any order to kill the Blade Breaker, Kronya."

"I am afraid you are mistaken, Entei," said Thales. "I gave that order personally. He would have proven too valuable an asset to the Church if he had been allowed to live."

Anna's eyes widened at hearing this. The Flame Emperor hadn't wanted Jeralt's death?

"Besides," said Monica. "I couldn't resist a chance to make that stupid blue-haired daughter of his cry her eyes out. Just thinking about her always going on and on in that classroom makes me sick."

Dimitri was almost gritting his teeth in rage at this point. He was just about to move to attack when Anna put her hand to his shoulder.

"Not now…" she whispered.

"As usual, you act without my consent, Thales," said the Flame Emperor.

"All for your benefit, Entei," said Thales. "After all, you are our greatest creation. We used the defiled beast's blood as the fuel to your flame, that you may burn even the gods. Now is the time to cleanse Fódlan of that power and bring forth our salvation."

"There will be no salvation for you and your kind. Those responsible for such gruesome deeds in Duscur and Enbarr."

"All so that you may acquire the strength you need. All for a purpose…"

"Your purpose, perhaps. Deceive me like this again and–"

"And you'll what? You think to raise arms against us, Entei? Those who created you? Those who grant you power? We can just as easily take it away from you."

"You cannot inflict any suffering upon me worse than what I have already suffered."

"Oh, that is where you are wrong, Entei. There is always a way to worsen one's suffering. I need not even harm you at all… But those you care for, on the other hand…"

The Flame Emperor was silent.

"Remember your place in our designs, Entei. Adhere to us, and you shall see your dreams realized."

With that, a magical circle appeared under Thales and Monica. A second later, the two vanished into thin air.

The Flame Emperor was still for a moment before the Death Knight said, "Give the order and I will kill them for you."

"We cannot," said the Flame Emperor. "It is too soon."

In the bushes, Dimitri whispered, "I've got you… Finally…"

The Death Knight stopped with a loud "Hmm?" and turned toward the bushes. Dimitri and Anna froze, thinking he had heard them.

"What is it?" said the Flame Emperor as he turned.

As he did, Dimitri's eyes widened as he saw an exquisite dagger strapped to the Flame Emperor's side. Anna noticed it as well, noting that it looked very familiar to one owned by a certain princess.

"Rats in the walls…" the Death Knight rasped.

"We've no time for such things, Death Knight. We leave now."

With that, the Flame Emperor was engulfed by his pillar of fire while black mist formed around the Death Knight, and the two vanished.

Anna let out a loud sigh as she said, "Close one." Then, looking at Dimitri, she said, "Hey, Dimitri? You okay?"

"That dagger…" said Dimitri. Then, shaking his head, Dimitri said, "No. Never mind. It couldn't possibly be so."

Anna said nothing to this, knowing what Dimitri was thinking. The dagger had indeed looked like the same one Edelgard had, but that didn't prove anything. It probably wasn't a one-of-a-kind blade.

But what Anna had heard raised a lot of questions. Why had the mage in black ordered Jeralt's death? Why was the Flame Emperor working with them if he despised them so? What were they threatening him with?

"Miss Anna? Are you alright?" asked Dimitri, snapping the redhead out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Dimitri. Was just pondering what we heard. Come on, we should get back to the monastery."

"Should we be telling the Church what we heard?"

"…No, not yet. I… I need time to think on it."

Anna turned away from Dimitri as the prince realized the merchant was trying to hide her sorrow. Dimitri knew she and Jeralt were close, but not to what extent.

"Miss Anna, do you seek revenge for Sir Jeralt's death?" he asked.

Anna stopped and paused before answering, "Yeah. Definitely."

"Then if you ask it of me, I will aid you in your vengeance."

"I may take you up on that offer. Come on, let's go."

With that, Anna and Dimitri made their way back toward Garreg Mach.

* * *

_I'm sure some of you will think I shouldn't have had Anna be the one who eavesdrops with Dimitri instead of Byleth, but this is going to set something up in a few chapters. Also, I included the Death Knight in the scene to further show the animosity with the Agarthans._

_Some of you may say that whole Dorothea past moment as "cheap character development", but it fits. Dorothea needed a good reason to do something stupid for Byleth's sake. Having her with a past trauma fits._

_Anyhow, I'll see you all again on Christmas Day. Happy Holidays!_


	92. Unsettling Vows

_Merry Christmas, everyone!_

_More character interactions, but this time it's not Dorothea/Byleth._

* * *

**Chapter 92 – Unsettling Vows (Guardian Moon)**

Following her week of illness, Dorothea found herself in one of the monastery lobbies, helping herself to a small bowl of fruit while sitting next to a warm fireplace. She had been ordered by Manuela and Byleth to take things slowly for now, which meant no training or intensive studying. The senior diva had been worried that the brunette could suffer a relapse if she pushed herself too hard. Though she had wanted to get back to her old routine, Dorothea knew Manuela was right to tell her to take it easy.

As a result, Dorothea was now lazing about in a comfy chair while she enjoyed a fruit bowl and read an old classic tale by the novelist Martin Burnett: The Mask of the Phantasm. It was of a lord who had lost his parents as a child to a street thief. Following his parents' deaths, he vowed to fight against the kind of criminals that had felled his mother and father. As he trained for the day that he would become a warrior of justice, he met a young noblewoman and fell in love with her, and their love threatened to break his vow to his parents. However, the woman's father had made deals with sinister noblemen. Unable to appease the nobles, the father was forced into hiding with his daughter, who could not tell her love why she had to leave him. Heartbroken, the lord renewed his vow and descended into a dark life of fighting for what he believed was justice. But as he was fighting against crime, his love returned, only to break his heart again once he discovered she had murdered the sinister nobles to avenge her father's death.

It was a tragic tale, but an excellent drama. Dorothea had once played a supporting role in an operatic dramatization of the story. Despite its dark turns, it was a story she loved.

As Dorothea was about to help herself to another slice of apple, she saw a familiar face at the entrance to the lobby, and knew she wasn't going to be able to relax.

"L-Lord Arundel…!" Dorothea said in faux surprise.

"You appear to be enjoying yourself, girl," said Arundel as he looked around.

Dorothea watched his eyes as he spoke and knew the regent was checking for anyone else in the area. She frowned at this. She knew this wasn't going to be a civil visit. Then again, it never was with Volkhard.

"If you must know, Lord Arundel," said Dorothea, "I was told to take it easy by my Professors."

"Is that so?" Arundel eyed the book Dorothea was reading and said, "The Mask of the Phantasm? Truly a work of art. Burnett understood the power of the dark in his writing. Tragedy begetting tragedy. The flawed ideology of 'justice'. Magnificent."

Dorothea said nothing to this. Arundel's opinion of the novel was very different from her own.

"But I've not come here to discuss literature with you, girl. I've come to hear what you have learned about our dear Archbishop. I hope you have something of substance for me."

"Err, well, I…"

Dorothea saw the regent's brow furrowing. She knew she was in trouble.

"Nothing, is it? How disappointing, though not unexpected."

"My… my apologies, my lord," Dorothea said nervously. "Rhea's been… difficult to listen in on as of late."

"I am not interested in your excuses, street rat. What I want is results."

"Well, it's not as though I can just listen in on her every hour of every day!" Dorothea snapped, louder than she had intended.

Arundel was quick to grasp her shoulder when Dorothea was about to stand up, forcing her back into her seat.

"Mind your tongue, girl," Arundel said slowly, punctuating each word. Then, as Dorothea settled within her seat, Arundel released her shoulder and said, "Perhaps the task I have given you is too much to expect of some street singer. You truly are as useless as I expected."

Dorothea balked at being called useless, but she could not find the courage to rebuke him. But it was more than that. As Arundel spoke to her, she found herself without a shred of mettle, his eyes seemingly gazing into her very soul and filling her with fear. It was terrifying just being in his presence.

"If you are going to continue being so ineffectual, I see no reason to continuing sponsoring you here, Miss Arnault."

Her eyes went wide open in horror at this. She couldn't afford to be kicked out of the academy now!

"W-Wait, Lord Arundel! Please, just give me another chance!" Dorothea begged. "I swear, I'll find something!"

Arundel appeared unmoved by Dorothea's plea. He turned to the book that Dorothea had set aside and picked it up, flipping to a part in the middle of the novel.

"How well can you recall what happens in the nineteenth chapter of this book?"

In muted fear, Dorothea replied, "I… I can practically recall it by heart, milord."

"Then tell me, what does Lord Valestra say to Count Beaumont before leaving his manor?"

Dorothea stopped for a moment, dreading what she was about to say. But under Arundel's cold stare, she couldn't resist his order.

She took a deep breath and quoted, "H-He said, 'I will have what I desire, or I will have your heart in my hand'."

Arundel then leaned in and looked Dorothea in the eye, his countenance mere inches from her wide green eyes, and whispered, "That is nothing compared to what I will do to you if you fail me again, girl."

Terrified, Dorothea found herself unable to speak. She couldn't move, too afraid of the man before her. She knew his threat was anything but empty.

"I am giving you one more month to learn what I want, girl," Arundel whispered. "Find the entrance to the Holy Tomb."

"I… I… I'll do it…" Dorothea whimpered.

Arundel said nothing to this, releasing his grip on the singer's shoulder and dropping the book into her lap. Then, without another word, Arundel strode away and left the lobby.

As soon as he was gone, Dorothea buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

…

Arundel looked about as he walked through the halls of Garreg Mach, making his way toward the main entrance. No one else appeared to be around.

Hidden within a dark corner, Yuri kept himself concealed from the regent. So far, Arundel hadn't noticed him, and Yuri knew he'd have to keep it that way. The rogue had overheard Arundel's conversation with Dorothea, and though he hadn't been able to make out everything that had been said, he had heard the words "Holy Tomb".

At first, he had thought that Arundel had meant the Holy Mausoleum, but quickly realized it couldn't have been what the regent was referring to. The location of the Holy Mausoleum wasn't a Church secret, after all. He had to mean something else. However, Yuri had never heard of the Holy Tomb before, so it had to be top secret.

The rogue was now pondering whether to speak with Rhea about the subject or not. It was clear that Dorothea was being coerced into doing Arundel's bidding, but she was also trying to give him top secret information. If Yuri came forward with an accusation, Arundel would surely deny it. They had no concrete evidence, and it would be a political fiasco if they were to accuse the Regent of the Empire without proof.

He knew it had to be even worse for Dorothea. She had no wealth to fall back on if Arundel pulled her sponsorship. And if she tried to turn on Arundel, his status and political connections would make any accusation she made toward him a death sentence for her. At first glance, one would assume her only option was to obey Arundel and do his bidding.

But Yuri knew by experience that there were always alternatives, even if they weren't readily visible.

Yuri glanced over to where Arundel had been seconds before. The man was now exiting the main hall and heading to a waiting carriage.

Yuri chose this moment to vanish into the shadows. He knew he had work to do if he was going to pull Dorothea out of the pit she had dug herself into.

But as Arundel entered his carriage, no one could see the sinister grin that appeared on his face at the knowledge that one of the Archbishop's rats had heard what he wanted.

…

Byleth hadn't paid a visit to Anna's shop in over two weeks, so she felt it was high time she checked in on the merchant. The students had told her that Anna hadn't taken Jeralt's death well, something that left Byleth worried.

The bell above Anna's front door rang as Byleth pushed her way inside. The shop was still loaded with goods and curiosities, though Byleth noticed that Anna had added locks to some of the display cases, particularly ones with more valuable items in them.

"Anna?" called Byleth. "Are you here?"

"Huh? Oh, hey By…" Anna answered from her storeroom, her tone highly subdued. "Finally decided to come over, did you?"

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"Don't worry about it. I heard about what happened to Dorothea, so I didn't want to… well, you get the idea."

The merchant emerged from her storeroom, dressed in her normal tunic with a long-sleeved shirt underneath for the cold. Byleth immediately noticed the shadows under Anna's red eyes.

"I see you finally got some locks," Byleth said awkwardly.

"Y-Yeah, I did…" said Anna. "Your dad was always telling me I should get some, but even after what happened with Pallardó, I didn't…"

Anna trailed off at this and turned her gaze away from Byleth.

"Anna, are you alright?"

Anna paused for a second, and then said, "N-No, not really, By. I mean, you can't be that much better, given… given what happened."

Byleth knew where this was going. Her expression turned gloomy as Anna took a deep breath.

"Y-You know, I really took Jeralt for granted," Anna said, her voice wavering. "I always knew he could've died in battle or something, but not… not like that. Not to a knife in the back. I've never told you this, but I met your dad about fifty years ago. It was early in my days as a travelling merchant, and I decided to come to Fódlan. And then, not even a week after I got off the ship from Tellius, I got myself ambushed by a group of thieves. If Jeralt hadn't shown up then, that'd have been it for me. I stayed in Fódlan for a few years before moving on, but Jeralt found the time to show me some combat tricks. They really came in handy."

Byleth nodded at this, letting Anna continue.

"I came back to Fódlan a few times after that, and Jeralt and I… we became good friends. He was always interested in hearing about the rest of the world. Then, about twenty-three years ago, I came here from Lycia. When I first saw Jeralt that time, he was with your mother. And they looked so happy with one another. I… chose not to make myself a third wheel, if you know what I mean. I saw Jeralt as a friend back then, not… not as…"

Byleth's eyes widened as she inferred what Anna meant.

"Anna, did you…?" Byleth asked.

"Did I like him? Well, yeah, I did, but when… when your mom died, and I learned he had you, I didn't… I didn't want to worsen the wound in his heart. So, I only showed up from time to time as he raised you, hoping he would get better in time. But then, when Aelfric tried to… tried to raise Sitri from the dead, I saw him hurt in the same way he'd been hurt when she died. But this time… this time, I wanted to help him heal. We were such good friends and, well, he'd been single for over twenty years by then, so I… I offered to help him however I could. But he wasn't ready. He told me so. It was too soon. I said I'd wait until he was ready."

Anna's eyes began to water with tears, making it clear just how hurt she was.

"I wish I hadn't! I wish I hadn't said I'd wait! I wish I'd told him how I felt sooner! But now he's… now he's gone! And I'll never get the chance to help heal his wounded heart!"

Anna now burst into tears and buried her face in her hands as she sniffled. Byleth stood up and placed a hand on Anna's shoulder.

"Anna…"

"I should've told him! I should've told him how I really felt!"

"Anna, I…"

For the next several minutes, Anna buried her face in Byleth's shoulder and sobbed while Byleth did her best to comfort her.

When Anna finally stopped, she slowly pushed herself away from Byleth and took a seat behind her main counter.

"Hey, By, you remember what your father asked of me when… when he died, right?"

Byleth nodded sadly. "He asked you to look after me."

"Yeah, and that's a promise I plan to keep. Look, you already know the Knights are searching for Monica. When they find her, you let me take care of her, alright?"

"What? Why?"

"I know you want that… that bitch dead more than anyone. But I'm… I'm worried she might come after you next. If I let anything happen to you, I'd never be able to face Jeralt again."

Byleth found herself slightly offended. "Anna, you know I can take care of myself," she said.

"I know that, By. But please, I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I don't want to lose you like…"

"That won't happen, Anna."

"You don't know that. You never know what the future holds, you know? Besides, it's not just for my sake. If you were to get yourself killed, you'd be leaving all those cadets without your guidance. So please, just let me handle it, alright?"

"No. I won't do that."

"What? By–"

"I won't have you going after her on your own. We'll take down Monica together, alright?"

Anna was silent for a moment, but then smiled and gave Byleth a nod.

The monastery bells began to toll. Byleth looked down at her pocket watch and saw it was getting late. The sky outside was darkening.

"Look, you'd better get back to the Officers' Academy," said Anna. "I've gotta close up for tonight. I'll catch you later, okay?"

Byleth nodded at this, and then turned and left Anna's shop.

As the door closed and Anna watched Byleth walk down the street, the redhead grimaced.

"Jeralt, I swear… I won't let anything happen to her. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. I promise."

* * *

_The plot thickens._

_Just to reiterate, Dorothea does NOT know that Arundel is an Agarthan. She's never even heard of the Agarthans. Arundel's just playing her like a fiddle. Do note, however, that while it seems obvious what Arundel wants out of Dorothea, there's a secret to it that I'm hoping will catch you off guard._

_Also, see if you can spot the references I had in Dorothea's section. Hint: It's to a 90's cartoon movie._

_I'm having trouble thinking of how to drag out the Guardian Moon, so I'm open to ideas on some slice-of-life with the students helping Byleth cope. Or would you prefer that I just get to the chapter battle sooner rather than later?_


End file.
